IHC issues show-cause notice to bar association secretary for 'misconduct and contempt'.

LAHORE -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to IHC Bar Association Secretary Muhammad Umair Baloch for "professional misconduct and contempt".

The high court also suspended Baloch's licence "to practice before [IHC]" until the next hearing, which will be held on December 19.

Baloch was reported to have been forcing lawyers not to appear before judges as the high court's bar association was observing a strike against alleged offences against the legal fraternity in Lahore a day earlier.

On Wednesday, lawyers had staged a violent protest at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) apparently on a mission to avenge a group of lawyers, who had been beaten up at the PIC a few weeks ago, soon after some video clips went viral on social media showing some doctors making fun of the lawyers while recalling the incident.

The outraged attackers, mostly young faces dressed in black suits and sporting neckties, spared no one present on hospital premises, where several serious cardiac patients are under treatment at any given time. The situation worsened when a mob stormed into the emergency department, seemingly in search of some doctors. In view of the approaching danger, the doctors fled the scene.

As the condition of some critical patients deteriorated in the absence of doctors, three PIC patients, including a girl and an elderly woman, passed away.

The court, in its notice today, noted that Baloch was "forcing the learned advocates to leave the court".

"He continued doing so when the court proceedings commenced. He was asked to refrain from disturbing the proceedings and...