Lawyers in Pakistan staged a sit-in protest on Monday at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, overcoming security checkpoints and barriers, according to Geo News.
They called on fellow fraternity members to join the demonstration, as reported by Geo News.
With lawyers protesting outside the Supreme Court building against the 26th Amendment to the Constitution and the appointment of new judges, security was heightened. Only Margalla Road remained accessible to the Supreme Court, while a heavy police presence was deployed inside the court premises. There were two layers of security outside the building.
Meanwhile, the metro bus service between the twin cities was partially suspended. Protesters also demanded the postponement of the judicial commission meeting scheduled for the same day.
Authorities sealed off Srinagar Highway, Nadra Chowk, and Serena Chowk, despite appeals from lawyers seeking permission for a peaceful demonstration inside the Red Zone, as per Geo News.
Clashes erupted at Serena Chowk when lawyers attempted to forcefully enter the restricted area. The influx of attorneys from Sindh and Balochistan led to the blockade of Srinagar Highway.
Several legal organizations condemned the protest, stating that some groups were acting for political reasons. The Supreme Court Bar Association, Punjab Bar Council, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, Pakistan Bar Council, Balochistan High Court Bar Association, and Sindh High Court Bar Association released a joint statement denouncing the demonstration against the judicial commission.
“We fully support the 26th Constitutional Amendment and legislation after that and consider them a part of the constitution,” the statement read, as quoted by Geo News, emphasizing that only representative legal bodies have the prerogative to call for protests. Three joint statements reinforcing this stance have been issued by various legal groups.
According to Al Jazeera, the new constitutional amendments give legislators more power in appointing the top judge, a move seen as undermining the judiciary, which has been accused of favoring jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
