LAHORE, Jan 20: Around three dozen lawyers on Friday marched from the Lahore High Court building to the GPO crossing yelling slogans against the US bombing of Bajaur Agency and unabated ‘military’ operation in Balochistan and the Northern Areas. Carrying a banner and placards to observe a day of protest, the lawyers demanded withdrawal of the US forces from the region and trial of America’s political leadership by an international tribunal for violating the sovereignty of Pakistan.

The call for the protest was given by the Pakistan Bar Council through its vice-chairperson Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari, who had gone to Islamabad to lead a similar rally.

Speaking at the small gathering of lawyers, Lahore High Court Bar Association President Fakhrunnisa said the United Nations should take a serious notice of the US forces targeting civilians in the aerial bombing. She also condemned the ongoing ‘military’ operation in Balochistan and north and south Waziristan, saying the action had endangered the federation.

The rally participants, who included LHCBA finance secretary Firdaus Imtiaz, Barrister Zafarullah Khan and Mian Hanif Tahir, kept raising anti-US and anti-government slogans for about 15 minutes before returning to the high court building. A heavy anti-riot police contingent was present across the road during the demonstration.

The LHCBA in its resolution earlier this week had said the lawyers would march to the American consulate at Simla Pahari to hand over its protest memorandum. The bar president, however, denied having made such an announcement.

She told reporters that it was only in the morning that a general meeting decided to walk up to the GPO Chowk.