- FIR lodged on IHC Bar President’s complaint, citing anti-judiciary and anti-army slogans
- Wajid Gilani alleges assault, says attackers were in lawyers’ uniforms carrying weapons, including knives and pistols
ISLAMABAD: Police in the federal capital on Friday registered a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other sections against human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Mazari, lawyer Naeem Panjotha, and 150–200 other lawyers following a violent protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The case was lodged at the Secretariat Police Station on a complaint filed by IHC Bar President Syed Wajid Gilani. According to the First Information Report (FIR), 150–200 lawyers were named in the case for raising slogans against the Chief Justice of the IHC and the Pakistan Army.
“I was grabbed, repeatedly hit on the shoulders, and beaten severely,” Gilani stated in the FIR, adding that the attackers were all dressed in lawyers’ uniforms. The report also alleged that Intizar Panjotha and Naeem Panjotha were armed with knives and daggers during the incident.
The confrontation erupted earlier in the day when a lawyers’ protest at the IHC spiraled into chaos after heated exchanges between senior lawyer Intizar Hussain Panjotha and IHC Bar Association President Wajid Gilani. The dispute began when participants were urged to refrain from sloganeering, nearly escalating into a physical clash.
Later, at a press conference, Gilani strongly condemned the incident, saying while he might have forgiven a personal attack, the assault targeted both the Bar president and secretary, making legal action inevitable.
“We are not proxies for any judge. We stand for the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution. We come here to earn respect,” he declared, urging fellow lawyers including Zainab Janjua and Imaan Mazari to work towards institutional strengthening.
Alongside his cabinet members, Gilani directly accused PTI-affiliated lawyers—Naeem Panjotha, Zainab Janjua, Fatiullah Barki, and Imaan Mazari—of orchestrating the attack, further alleging that Intizar Panjotha and others were armed with pistols at the time.
He emphasized that the Bar had no personal agenda, remained united in supporting all IHC judges, and underlined, “For the survival and integrity of the country, it is essential to appreciate its defenders.”
Bar Secretary Manzoor Jajja also vowed strict measures, announcing that cases under terrorism laws would be pursued against those responsible. He said the names of the implicated lawyers would be forwarded to the Islamabad Bar Council for cancellation of licenses. Jajja added that the issue of Justice Tariq Jahangiri’s degree should not have been allowed to linger, which had fueled unnecessary controversy.
Vice Chairman of the Islamabad Bar Council, Naseer Kayani, cautioned against exploiting Jahangiri’s case for political purposes, warning that the council would not tolerate such moves. He announced that all lawyers involved in the attack would be barred from entering the IHC and said their licenses would be suspended once formal complaints were received.
“We will not be blackmailed by anyone,” Kayani stressed, reaffirming the council’s resolve to safeguard judicial independence and discipline within the legal fraternity.
