'Coup d’etat' after Bar accepts Gondal genuine

LAHORE - Lawyers backed by Hamid Khan, head of powerful Professional Group, Friday thrashed President
Lahore High Court Bar Association Munawwar Iqbal Gondal and his supporters and occupied the office after
forcing him out in a military-like coup they launched after the general house overwhelmingly gave Gondal the
mandate to continue as president till next year election and rejected former presidents’ bid to hold fresh polls.
Secretary Muqtadir Akhtar Shabbir had convened today’s meeting to find out amicable solution of the
controversy over the presidential slot. Overcrowded house not only allowed Gondal to continue occupy into the
president office but also strongly dismissed proposal of holding ‘fresh polls’ today| (Saturday), terming it an
illegal move in violation of bar’s rules.
The announcement in the general house irritated Hamid Khan’s supporters who had gathered outside the Kiyani
Hall since morning. They launched “operation clean-up” against Gondal by attacking the Committee Room
(sitting place of the cabinet) in a bid to expel Gondal and occupy it till their self-arranged polls were held.
Former president Ahmad Awais was at the forefront of the onslaught while Shafqat Mahmood Chauhan and
Manzoor Gilani were also marching their troops in an attempt to dislodge the president, who they believe is an
illegal occupant.
Anticipating the attack, Gondal’s supporters shielded him against a summersault that was being expected for
weeks. Gondal’s opponents kept on chanting full-throat slogans against Gondal blaming him for siding with the
PCO judges.
Both the groups were shouting at each other ignoring the fact that the legal community had earned laurels in the
their movement during the pat two years and such kind of scenes are letting them down in public eyes.
Interestingly, Gondal, a PML-N candidate in bar February annual election for Vice-President seat, was
supported by Hamid Khan’s group. But they turned against him soon after he assumed the office of president
after MA Shahid Siddiqui was made a judge of Supreme Court.
Gondal’s supporters could resist their opponents only for couple of hours as most of them had left the bar after
the house passed a resolution in his support. And remaining ones were exhausted due to the hot weather sans
electricity.
While Khan’s party was well-prepared to handle the situation as they were continuously sending new ‘soldiers’
inside the room to grab the covet slot, the battle of nerves soon spilled into physical assault after Gondal’s