ABBOTTABAD: A dispute between lawyers and the district administration over the installation of a water filtration plant at the district courts escalated into a physical confrontation on Wednesday, leaving several bar members injured and causing partial damage to the new tehsil building.
District Bar Association Secretary Asad Jadoon and three other lawyers sustained injuries in alleged stone-pelting during the confrontation, according to the lawyers’ association.Police were called in to control the situation as tensions remained high in the city.
According to the lawyers, the water filtration plant was being installed at the district courts for the convenience of lawyers, litigants and the general public with funding provided by the Peshawar High Court.
They alleged that Assistant Commissioner Afrasiab Bandial had stopped the installation, demolished the setup and ordered the removal of the plant.The lawyers accused the assistant commissioner of allegedly misbehaving with senior lawyers, including women members of the legal fraternity, which, they said, aggravated the situation.
The District Bar Association termed the action against the filtration plant unlawful and announced a strike and protest against the district administration.The district administration, however, maintained that it had objected to the installation of the filtration plant alongside the wall of the Estate Commissioner’s Office.
Meanwhile, district administration officers and employees gathered at the New Tehsil Building for consultations on the issue and expressed solidarity with the assistant commissioner.A large number of protesting lawyers outside the New Tehsil Building reportedly faced an ugly situation when stone-pelting took place inside the building. As tensions escalated, alleged stone-pelting broke out between government employees and lawyers, resulting in injuries to several lawyers, including Jadoon.
After undergoing medical examinations, the injured lawyers submitted a complaint against the assistant commissioner and members of his supporting staff.The protesting lawyers allegedly damaged the main gate of the New Tehsil Building and attempted to enter the premises, prompting police to intervene and prevent the situation from escalating.
Later, the lawyers marched towards the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and blocked the road outside the building.Chanting slogans against the deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner, the protesters demanded the immediate suspension of Afrasiab Bandial and legal action against officials allegedly involved in the confrontation.Jadoon termed the action against the filtration plant unlawful and accused the assistant commissioner of allegedly misbehaving with senior lawyers.
