PESHAWAR, Dec 23: The lawyers community on Monday held a protest demonstration against the presence and operations of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Pakistan, and asked the government to forthwith bar it from operating in the country.

A protest meeting was held on the premises of the sessions courts and followed by a procession. The lawyers marched up to the press club and dispersed peacefully.

The procession was led by the president of the District Bar Association, Sher Afgan Khattak, senior advocate Qazi Mohammed Anwer and High Court Bar Association vice-president Shahabuddin Burk.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans “Stop FBI operations; FBI, go back home; respect human rights in Pakistan; stop crushing the Muslims; down with America”.

The protesters chanted anti-US and anti-FBI slogans throughout their way towards the press club.

Earlier, at the sessions court the speakers bitterly criticized Pakistan government for surrendering its sovereignty to the FBI and other US intelligence agencies.

They said that on a single telephone call President General Musharraf became a partner in the brutal killing of thousands of Afghans. They added that the Afghan nation would never forgive them.

The speakers condemned the detention of Pakistani nationals by the FBI, specially Dr Aamir Aziz and Dr Ahmad Jawed Khwaja, and stated that the FBI had become a state within Pakistan.

They asked the government to withdraw support to the FBI and US in its so-called war against terrorism.

The Bar members claimed that after Afghanistan, the US was targeting Iraq so as to strengthen Israel. They regretted that Pakistan government instead of condemning the US stance against Iraq, had supported it due to which the heads of the entire nation hanged in shame.