The strike announced by the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) on January 17th caused adjournment without hearing of 2899 cases in 53 courts excluding E-Court cases at District Judicial Complex, Islamabad on January 18th.

"Judges were present in the courtrooms even some of the accused showed up but bar IBA members didn't let them inside the courtroom," told a reader on condition of anonymity to The Nation. 

According to the statement issued by a Spokesperson of Islamabad police, a fight broke out between lawyers and policemen when a lawyer tried to hand over something to a person accused of murder unlawfully inside the court prison and was stopped by policemen which resulted in a scuffle between policemen, and lawyers on January 17th. 

On the other hand, IBA issued a press statement on Jan 17th which called for a strike on Jan 18th stating that a lawyer was roughed up by policemen near the court prison which ended up with policemen firing straight bullets at the lawyers. Nobody was injured. IBA demanded the suspension of the policeman and also ordered to registration of a case against the accused under the Anti-terrorism Act. 

According to the sources, during the tension between policemen and lawyers almost 250 to 300 prisoners waiting for trial who were inside the court prison got upset because of the delay in their hearings and started vandalism inside the court prison. The charged prisoners broke walls, ceilings, and bathrooms inside the court prison. According to the sources, police fired tear gas shells inside the court prison to control the situation. 

Prisoners were not produced in the district judicial complex from jails on Thursday because of renovation work inside the court prison. According to the sources privy to the matter they won't be produced on Friday either and authorities will wait until agreement between IBA and Islamabad police. Renovation work in the court prison will also be finished on Saturday, according to the sources. 

No course of action has been decided by the Islamabad police until late night of Thursday. IBA also hasn't confirmed anything either about the strike as of Thursday evening. Approximately 3000 citizens might also have to face disappointment tomorrow if the stalemate isn't over tonight.