THATTA: Court proceedings and other judicial work across Thatta district remained suspended for a fourth consecutive day on Friday as lawyers continued their protest over issuance of contempt notices to eight of their colleagues.
The notices were issued after a group of enraged lawyers, chased a police officer into the chamber of Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate Saifullah Dashti and allegedly indulged in violence.
A call for the boycott and protest sit-in was given by the District Bar Association of Thatta.
Lawyers gather in a large number outside the city’s judicial complex every day since Tuesday (Nov 10) to hold a sit-in and demand withdrawal of the contempt notices.
Advocates Aamir Nawaz Warraich and Haseeb Jamali, along with office-bearers and members of the DBA, have been participating in the protest. A Sindh Bar Council member, Zubair Ahmed Abro, DBA President Syed Aizaz Hussain Shah and Mansoor Behrani have been playing an active role in getting the issue resolved through negotiations with judicial officers.
Speaking to media personnel, Aizaz Shah termed the issuance of the contempt notices unfair, and demanded their immediate withdrawal. He said that lawyers would continue their protest until the notices were withdrawn.
According to the content of the notices, the Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate / Consumer Protection Court, Thatta, Saifullah Dashti, issued the notices on Nov 7 under Section 228 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, read with Sections 3 and 4 of the Contempt of CourtOrdinance,2003.
The lawyers who were issued the notices are Thatta DBA General Secretary Hosh Mohammad, Iqtidar Hussain Qureshi, Kashif Memon, Attique Memon, Ageel Abro, Syed Hussain Asker Ali Shah, Jehanzaib Kalhar and Shahnawaz Abbasi.
According to the judge, a police officer, ASI Ghulam Mustafa Bhatti, entered his chamber in a state of panic while he was attending to miscellaneous work inside.
The judge said that the police officer informed him about some lawyers who were attempting to physicallyassault him.
The judge further said that a group of lawyers, along with some others, broke into his chamber without his permission and physically assaulted the police officer.
According to the judge, lawyers Iqtidar Hussain Qureshi and Attique Memon broke the glassware and cups, used abusive language against him (the judge).
Iqtidar Qureshi threatened to set the judge’s seat and chamber on fire, Judge Dashti mentioned in the notice.
Official case files were thrown around and water was poured over them, while Jehanzaib Kalhar attempted to throw a glass of water at ASI Bhatti, according to the judge. The judge described the episode as an act of contempt, intimidation and interference with the administration ofjustice, and said thatithad also disrupted the judicial decorum and resulted in damage to official property.
The eight lawyers have been directed to submit their replies within three days of receiving the notices, explaining why criminal proceedings should not be initiated against them under the relevant provisions of law. Failure to respond to the notice within the stipulated period would lead to further proceedings in accordance with the law, each of the notices warned.
On Nov 10, the Thatta DBA, through a unanimously passed resolution at an emergency general body meeting, strongly condemned the issuance of the notices. It called for a complete suspension of court proceedings across Thatta district until the notices were unconditionally withdrawn.
The resolution also demanded an immediate judicial and administrative inquiry into the conduct of the judge, ‘particularly regarding the alleged accommodation of an ASI of the Makli police station, which did not fall within his territorial jurisdiction, in his private chamber’.