KARACHI, Dec 13: The city lawyers boycotted on Tuesday legal proceedings in protest against the manhandling of one of their colleagues allegedly by the personnel of National Logistics Cell.

Hundreds of lawyers, led by the leaders of Karachi Bar Association, marched through the corridors of the city courts in the morning. Later, they held a demo at M A Jinnah Road.

KBA general-secretary Khalid Mumtaz said NLC personnel brutally beat up Raees Tanoli advocate in Korangi on Sunday night when he was going in his car with his family. He alleged that NLC trawler hit the lawyer’s car. Subsequently, NLC men trussed him up and took him away. They kept him in their illegal custody for over seven hours, he alleged.

He said the police did not register a case against the NLC personnel. He said the FIR was registered only after orders of the district and sessions judge, East. He, however, said a false counter FIR was also registered against the lawyer.

He warned that the legal fraternity would hold a sit-in and boycott the legal proceedings on Thursday if FIR against Mr Tanoli was not withdrawn.

KBA president Mehmoodul Hasan, general secretary Khalid Mumtaz, Naheed Afzal, Malik Khan, Yasin Azad and Mohammad Ali Abbasi also addressed the protesting lawyers.

The lawyers demanded the arrest of NLC personnel involved in the manhandling and torture of their colleague.

The lawyers later gathered at the Shuhda-i-Punjab Hall and attended KBA general body meeting.