February 20, 2007	Tuesday	Safar 2, 1428

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RAWALPINDI, Feb 19: No court proceedings took place in the districts of Rawalpindi and Attock as the judges and lawyers in unity with their fellows across the country protested against the suicide bombing in Quetta that killed 16 people.

The strike was observed in response to a call given by the Pakistan Bar Council. All cases were adjourned without any hearing.

Security has been beefed up on court premises and the police are now not allowing vehicles to be parked inside the boundary of the courts. All entry points were guarded by police personnel and everybody was searched before their entry into the court complex.

Meanwhile, a meeting was held in the Rawalpindi district bar office to assess the security measures. The meeting was attended besides others by District Bar President Khalid Ismail Abbasi, Superintendent of Police Security Yasin Farooq.

GUJAR KHAN: Gujar Khan Bar Association (GBA) President Hamid Raza and Secretary-General Syed Tayab Raza Kazmi, while speaking at a meeting, said terrorist activities anywhere were intolerable and the recent suicide attack on the court premises was highly condemnable.

They demanded that the government should ensure immediate arrest of those who committed the brutal act.

The GBA members also prayed from the souls of those killed in the incident.

TAXILA: The lawyers community in Taxila and Wah Cantonment boycotted the local courts to protest against the Quetta suicide attack in which a senior judge and a number of lawyers were among the casualties.

ATTOCK: Lawyers in Attock also observed a complete strike that caused great inconvenience to the litigants particularly those who arrived here from the far-flung areas.

They termed the Quetta blast an inhuman and barbaric act, and said the anti-state elements involved in such incidents would never succeed in their malicious designs.

They condoled with the families of the victims and prayed to Allah Almighty to give them courage to bear this loss with fortitude.