ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Tuesday announced to hold a countrywide strike tomorrow (Wednesday) to protest against police action in Islamabad.
A press release issued by the PBC, stated that the council strongly condemned torture on the lawyers outside the Supreme Court and all lawyers will boycott the courts and observe complete strike tomorrow across the country.
The PBC said that the police demonstrated sheer brutality by launching baton charge and teargas shelling on the lawyers.
It further said that the lawyers will boycott courts completely and hold protest rallies across the country tomorrow.
Earlier in the day, lawyers belonging to five divisions of Punjab including Sargodha, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, and Gujranwala were staging their protest outside the Supreme Court building in Islamabad demanding the formation of local benches in the courts of their areas.
The lawyers were of the view that the Punjab cabinet had approved the formation of the benches; therefore, a notification should be issued.
During the protest, some lawyers tried to enter the Supreme Court premises. However, police intervened and did not allow them to enter in the apex court building.
The situation went worse when the lawyers turned furious and started scuffle with police. In order to control the situation, police resorted to aerial firing and baton-charged a number of lawyers.
During the clashes, many lawyers and security men including the assistant commissioner, and DSP sustained injuries while glasses of the Supreme Court building were also damaged partially by the stoning of the protesters.
Afterward, police surrounded the court building while the lawyers continued with their protest.
