Islamabad: Shots were fired outside the residence of Supreme Court judge Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan in two separate incidents in Lahore on Sunday.
The judge’s residence was targeted twice — first at 4.30am and then 9am on Sunday, according to the Supreme Court’s PRO. No casualties were reported.
Security personnel, including Rangers, have since been deployed for his protection.
Security forces reportedly said that the spent bullet casing of a 9mm pistol was found near the main gate of Justice Ahsan’s residence Saturday night while another was found near kitchen window in the morning.
Forensic experts visited the residence twice and gathered evidence, including CCTV footage of the security camera, according to local media. The police officials are investigating whether it was a targeted attack or aerial firing.
Following the incident, Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar reached Justice Ijaz’s house and summoned Punjab inspector general Arif Nawaz Khan. A Supreme Court official said the chief justice was personally monitoring the situation.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi condemned incident. “The prime minister directed the authorities concerned at the federal and provincial level to bring the culprits to task at the earliest,” a press release by the PM’s Office said.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ordered immediate arrests of the attackers. He also asked the Punjab IG to submit a report on the incident.
“This is a highly condemnable incident. We are trying our best to arrest the attackers and a thorough investigation is under way,” Punjab government spokesman Malik Ahmad Khan was quoted as saying. He added that additional security has been provided to the judge.
Justice Ahsan was part of the five-member bench that delivered the verdict in the high-profile Panamagate case last year, which led to the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, the then prime minister.
Meanwhile, condemning the firing incidents, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) have demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.
“Lawyers of the whole country are standing with the Supreme Court judges,” SCBA Secretary Safdar Tarar said in a statement.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan “strongly condemned” the incidents, claiming that they were “tactics to pressurise senior judiciary are unacceptable in any democracy”.
Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari termed the attacks shocking and called for a judicial probe.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah, politicians Chaudhry Shujaat and Pervez Ilahi also condemned the incident and demanded an investigation into the matter as well as provision of suitable security to the judges.
