Pakistan
LBA bans police entry into court premises in response to Sher Afzal Marwat’s detention
The bar leaders say that the ban on the police entry will continue until the senior lawyer, who is the PTI senior vice-president, is released.
Lahore: After detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice-President Sher Afzal Marwat, the Lahore District Bar on Friday banned entry of the police into the premises of the sessions court.
The bar took this step in response to the arrest of Sher Afzal Marwat outside the Lahore High Court on Thursday.
Lahore District Bar President Rana Intezar strongly condemned the arrest of the eminent lawyer. Rana Intezar announced the prohibition of police entry into lower courts as a symbolic gesture of protest against what the bar perceived as the unjust detention of a fellow lawyer.
The bar on police access would persist until Sher Afzal Marwat is released.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) also joined the chorus of dissent, issuing a press statement demanding the immediate release of Sher Afzal Marwat.
The SCBA denounced the arrest, characterizing it as a violation of human rights and expressing apprehension about the overall implications of such actions.
Highlighting concerns about the conformity of the arrest with legal standards, the SCBA called for a revision of the 16MPO law to "maintain standards of justice." The association emphasized the urgency of releasing the detained lawyer, asserting that the arrest under 3MPO was contentious.
Sher Afzal Marwat, holding the position of senior vice president within the PTI, was taken into custody by a substantial police contingent as he exited the high court premises following his participation in a lawyers' convention. According to police reports, Marwat was arrested under the 3MPO and subsequently transported to the Mazang police station.