Senior lawyer Latif Khosa, who appeared as PTI chief Imran Khan’s 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 to Dawn.com 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’s 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.

Subsequently, Khosa’s assistant lawyer, Suzane Jahan, can be seen in a video saying, “It 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 — all are inside [the elevator].

“I have informed the administration 10 times. Everyone here knows about this [but] no one is taking action and my boss is inside,” she said in a heated manner.

“Does 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?” Jahan asked. “Pathetic,” she added.

The video shows Jahan and Barrister Gohar Khan — another member of Imran’s legal team — pressing the elevator’s button in an attempt to call it to the ground floor. However, the elevator screen continued to switch between displaying “3” and “ER”.

Other lawyers gathered there also complained about the lack of response from the local authorities, saying that “no staff [member] has arrived”.

Video footage showed dozens of people, including lawyers, gathered outside the elevator’s entrance on the IHC’s 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’s 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.

Soon, a video shot inside the elevator emerged, showing the trapped people while one of them counted their number to 17.

Black coat would remain alive: Khosa

Speaking to the media later today, a visibly angry Khosa implied that the incident was not a mere malfunction.

Referring to the “suffocation” he and others felt inside the elevator, Khosa said the people of Pakistan had been suffering from the same for the past 16 months.

“Only a black coat (lawyers) was left whose voice they could not silence, and today, they have even attempted that,” he said, indirectly alleging the incident to be planned.

The lawyer went on to allege: “They are under the misapprehension that they can kill the lawyers’ resolution in this manner. Even if I had died, this black coat would have remained alive.

“This supremacy of the Constitution, governance of the law, Pakistan’s greatness, public’s right — lawyers have always been the one to hoist its flag.”

Stating that the lawyers’ community wanted to see the judiciary independent, he said, “God-willing, we are about to start a lawyers’ movement.”

Overload likely cause: DC Memon

Later today, speaking to reporters outside the IHC, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon quoted “technical people” at the IHC saying that overloading the lift with too many passengers might have caused the elevator to malfunction.

When the DC asked a reporter how many people there were inside and if the incident might have been caused due to an overload, the latter replied that the elevator had the capacity for “21 people [or] 1600 kilograms”.

When Memon asked him if there was a fan operating inside the elevator, the reporter replied that there was no fan there.

The DC stated that a call was received at 12:27pm about the incident, following which a team arrived there at 12:34pm. “The team arrived here in seven minutes,” he added.

When asked about the alleged lack of response from the local authorities, Memon said he “would not want to make accusations” and reiterated that the rescue team had promptly responded.

The DC further said that the rescue team was “misguided” that the elevator was stuck at the basement level, which one of the rescue team members also stated.

While reiterating that the overload was the likely cause according to the technical experts present there, Memon also said he could not comment on the technicality of the incident.

SCBA expresses deep concern, calls for probe

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) expressed “deep concerns” over the incident, noting that it was ironic that the IHC staff did nothing to offer any immediate help or provide any assistance.

The SCBA called on the IHC chief justice and authorities to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident to determine whether it was a “deliberate attempt on life and safety of Sardar Latif Khan Khosa and other lawyers that remained trapped inside the elevator or if it was indeed a genuine malfunction”.

The SCBA said the circumstances surrounding the elevator malfunction and the subsequent rescue operation raised questions about the safety protocols and maintenance practices within the court premises.

“We cannot overrule the possibility of sabotage which needs to be thoroughly investigated,” the association said in a press release.

“As a legal community, we must stand united against any attempts to hinder the pursuit of justice and legal advocacy. It is our fervent hope that the investigation will shed light on the true nature of this incident and shall ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future,” the press release added.

Additional reporting by Haseeb Bhatti.