By Asif Naveed
ISLAMABAD; A violent protest by lawyers outside the Islamabad High Court on Thursday turned chaotic, leading to the registration of an FIR against more than 200 lawyers, including senior members of the bar.
The case, registered at the Secretariat Police Station under FIR No. 533/25, was lodged on the complaint of Islamabad High Court Bar President Wajid Gillani. The FIR names senior lawyers including Naeem Haider Panjutha and Intizar Haider Panjutha, while also nominating around 200 unidentified lawyers.
According to the FIR, protesting lawyers stormed the main gate of the Supreme Court, clashed with police and Rangers, and attacked security personnel. Several officers were reportedly injured as a result of stone-pelting and baton attacks, while both government and private vehicles sustained significant damage.
The FIR includes charges under Sections 440, 148, 149, 324, 506(ii), 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code, along with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Police also invoked provisions of the Lawyers Welfare and Protection Act 2023.
Reports from the scene indicate that heavy contingents of police and Rangers were deployed to restore order after the protest spiraled out of control. The situation escalated following internal tensions among lawyers, as Islamabad High Court Bar President Wajid Gillani and other office bearers were reportedly manhandled during the demonstration.
Additional Secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar, Manzoor Jajja, announced that further legal action will be pursued against those responsible. Bar leaders condemned the violence, with calls for cancellation of law licenses of lawyers found guilty of misconduct during the protest.
The incident has raised serious concerns over deteriorating discipline within the legal fraternity and prompted authorities to tighten security at the High Court and Supreme Court premises.
