Senior lawyer Latif Khosa, who appeared as PTI chief Imran Khan\u2019s counsel in a case today, and at least 16 others were rescued safely on Friday after they got trapped in a malfunctioning elevator at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Usman Gujjar, one of the people stuck inside the elevator, confirmed that there were a total of 17 people trapped there. Khosa had exited the courtroom after the conclusion of a hearing on a plea seeking suspension of the former premier\u2019s three-year jail sentence in the Toshakhana case. On the way back, he and 16 others got stuck in the elevator after it stopped functioning. It is not yet known why the incident occurred. Subsequently, Khosa\u2019s assistant lawyer, Suzane Jahan, can be seen in a video saying, \u201cIt has been more than 10 minutes. The lift has malfunctioned and no one from the [court] administration is coming. Khosa sahib and his legal lawyers \u2014 all are inside [the elevator]. \u201cI have informed the administration 10 times. Everyone here knows about this [but] no one is taking action and my boss is inside,\u201d she said in a heated manner. \u201cDoes this mean that now you will also kill lawyers by suffocating them? You already put[Imran] Khan behind bars and you will also kill lawyers now?\u201d Jahan asked. \u201cPathetic,\u201d she added. The video shows Jahan and Barrister Gohar Khan \u2014 another member of Imran\u2019s legal team \u2014 pressing the elevator\u2019s button in an attempt to call it to the ground floor. However, the elevator screen continued to switch between displaying \u201c3\u201d and \u201cER\u201d. Other lawyers gathered there also complained about the lack of response from the local authorities, saying that \u201cno staff [member] has arrived\u201d. Video footage showed dozens of people, including lawyers, gathered outside the elevator\u2019s entrance on the IHC\u2019s second floor as lawyers improvised ways to get the trapped persons out while a person also held a pedestal fan to enhance airflow towards the elevator. TV footage also showed a fire and rescue team on the spot, which was called specifically to resolve the issue. More than half an hour later, the people were rescued safely after collective efforts from lawyers and the rescue team. When the elevator\u2019s doors were finally opened, Khosa and others emerged one by one from the darkened elevator as its lights had shut. Following his rescue, fellow lawyers escorted a visibly exhausted Khosa from the court premises while chanting slogans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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