Lawyers’ hooliganism, particularly in Punjab, is not a new phenomenon. However, it has certainly taken a turn for the worse. The ongoing tussle between the powerful members of the bar and the bench in Punjab has aggravated.
From what it appears, when you have enough noise, violence and politics on your side, there are no limits to what you can do to take on the bench of the highest court. Sadly, the Supreme Court of Pakistan choosing not to hold disruptive members of the bar accountable, only adds to a feeling of resentment.
The hooliganism committed by lawyers in the courtrooms and outside the court is downright criminal actions. Where is the moral compass when it comes to the lawyers? The system is broken in many respects. Lawyers’ behavior will continue to get worse until courts and regulators choose to hold the delinquents accountable.
And who does not love the sheer convenience of a little power in this country? Lawyers have assaulted and threatened judges and court staff, spat profanities in crowded courtrooms, manhandled witnesses, police officers and ordinary citizens, and so on and so forth. The list is inexhaustible!
Rather than being looked up to for their professionalism, lawyers are now feared in our country. Traffic wardens refuse to ticket them, policeman stray clear of confronting them, landlords bluntly deny them tenancies and whatnot.
As a matter of fact, it is their notoriety that barely days pass before the antics of lawyers splashes onto television screens, newspapers, and social media.
Gujranwala lawyers ‘torture’ police constable over a parking dispute
Yet another case of a band of lawyers torturing a police constable has been brought to light. More than 20 lawyers in Gujranwala were booked for allegedly torturing and beating up a police constable. The incident took place outside a court in Wazirabad.
According to the details, a police constable stopped Advocate Talat Farooq from parking his motorcycle in a no parking zone outside the court. Subsequent to this, the constable, identified as Muhammad Anwar, got attacked with punches, slaps, and kicks from the lawyers.
Whereas, the Gujranwala Bar Association claims that the constable had misbehaved with an elderly lawyer which sparked the dispute. The Saddar police have registered an FIR against 10 named advocates and 15 unknown lawyers. Further investigations are underway.
It is to be noted that this is not the first time that lawyers have carried out abuse of privilege and got off scot-free. Just consider the event of 2019, where a lawyer who slapped a female constable was released without punishment displaying the rotten justice system prevailing in the country.
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