Islamabad lawyers barge into IHC building in protest against CDA's operation.

ISLAMABAD -- Lawyers wreaked havoc on the Islamabad High Court building on Monday as they protested over the destruction of their chambers by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday night.

According to media reports, lawyers barged into the Chief Justice Block and broke windows and chanted slogans against IHC CJ Athar Minallah outside his chamber, trapping him inside. The IHC top judge was inside his chamber at the time, however, special security police troops were not present when the lawyers entered the block and arrived much later.

Female employees were evacuated from the block and other IHC judges also arrived at the scene. Rangers and Counter-Terrorism Department officials were also deployed along with police in order to control the situation.

The lawyers also verbally clashed with a Rangers officer, who had arrived with other officials at the court's Chief Justice Block. The official was stopped at the entrance.

Proceedings in district courts as well as in IHC were suspended and petitioners were stopped from entering the building. The road outside the court was blocked for traffic. The lawyers also misbehaved with journalists who were present on the scene and were recording videos.

"We are trying to get this resolved in half an hour," Islamabad District Commissioner Muhammad Hamza Shafaat who had arrived at the court said in an informal conversation with journalists. Islamabad police chief Qazi Jamilur Rehman and Interior Secretary Yousuf Naseem Khokhar also arrived at the court's premises.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani and IHC Bar Association President Haseeb Chaudhry urged the rioting lawyers to opt for dialogue.

"Until you people put your stance before us, we will not be able to solve the problem," said Justice Kiyani and invited the lawyers to talk in the bar room.

The lawyers said that they "will not talk until our chambers are restored". They also claimed that some of their colleagues were arrested. "Write the names of the lawyers who have been arrested, [I'll] order the SP straight away [to release them]," Justice Kiyani assured them. He lamented that lawyers have caused "double trouble" by attacking the high court chief justice's chamber.

"Lawyers have crossed the head of their house, now I will have to placate him as well," he said. "A chief justice is chief justice, you have put his credibility and verdicts at stake."

Haseeb also asked the lawyers to submit their demands and assured them that he would get them...