SAHIWAL, March 14: The District Bar Association president on Wednesday suspended the bar membership of Punjab agriculture minister and issued a show-cause notice to federal science and technology minister for supporting presidential action against the chief justice of Pakistan.

DBA head Sheikh Muhammad Usman told journalists that he had ordered the suspension of the bar membership of agriculture minister Arshad Lodhi and recommended to the Punjab Bar Council for the cancellation of his license.

He added that in this connection a show-cause notice had been served to the federal minister for science and technology. Any action would be taken against the federal minister on receipt of reply from him on March 15, he added.

Mr Usman alleged that both the ministers had supported the presidential reference against CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry which was not acceptable.

He further said the DBA would also decide the cases of those members who on Wednesday proceeded to Lahore on the invitation of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elhi to attend a convention there.