A violent clash erupted between lawyers of the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the premises of the Peshawar High Court on Thursday. The lawyers exchanged blows and threw chairs at each other, injuring several people and damaging property.
The brawl started when PTI leader Fazal Muhammad Khan, who is also a lawyer, arrived at the court to attend a hearing. He was confronted by a group of ANP lawyers, who accused him of being involved in corruption and land grabbing. The verbal altercation soon turned physical, as the lawyers from both sides attacked each other with fists and feet.
The security personnel and other lawyers tried to intervene and stop the fight, but failed to control the situation. The clash continued for several minutes, until the police arrived and dispersed the crowd. Several lawyers were injured in the melee, and some of them were taken to the hospital for treatment. The court premises also witnessed damage, as many windows, doors, and furniture were broken.
The Peshawar High Court Bar Association condemned the incident and demanded action against the culprits. The association’s president, Muhammad Khursheed Khan, said that such acts of violence were unacceptable and tarnished the image of the legal fraternity. He said that the association would form a committee to probe the matter and take disciplinary action against the lawyers involved in the clash.
The ANP and the PTI are political rivals in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the latter is in power. The two parties have often clashed over various issues, such as the provincial budget, the merger of the former tribal areas, and the development projects. The latest incident of violence between their lawyers has raised concerns over the law and order situation in the province.