Lawyers, police come face to face amid SJC meeting on judges' appointments
Pakistan
Routes to Red Zone will remain closed due to security concerns
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Lawyers and police clashed at several places in Islamabad on Monday amid the all-important Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) session.
Lawyers had announced a protest against the 26th constitutional amendment and gathered in the capital city to register their protest.
As the agitators tried to enter Red Zone, police blocked their way leading to brawl. The lawyers let loose their indignation after assembling at Srinagar Highway, where police baton-charged them.
The police and lawyers also scuffled at Serena Chowk, which became a scene of pitched battle. Law enforcers also brought prison vans around Red Zone.
Earlier, in light of the lawyers' strike call at the time of judicial commission meeting, security had been put on high alert in Islamabad.
According to an advisory issued by the Capital Traffic Police, all entry and exit points to the Red Zone have been closed due to potential law and order situation in the city.
The traffic advisory stated that the internal and external routes to the Red Zone would remain closed due to security concerns.
The roads leading to Red Zone, including Serena, NADRA, Marriott, Express Chowk, and T-Cross Bari Imam, would be temporarily closed from 6am until further notice.
The police advised the public to use Margalla Road as an alternative to avoid any travel difficulties.
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan is set to hold a meeting today to discuss the appointment of eight new judges to the Supreme Court.
Senator Ali Zafar, member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, has written a letter to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi requesting him to postpone the commission’s meeting.
He said the session be deferred until the issue of seniority is settled in the Islamabad High Court. In the letter, he said due to the recent transfer and posting of the judges, the seniority list of the IHC has changed. These developments, he opined, could have serious effects on the justice system.
Earlier on Feb 3, lawyers from the Islamabad Bar Council, Islamabad High Court Bar Association, and District Bar Association boycotted courts in protest against the transfer of judges from other high courts to the IHC.
