KARACHI, March 22: The Sindh High Court Bar Association put off its Supreme Court golden jubilee dinner scheduled for Friday as the chief guest, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, expressed his inability to attend it ‘on account of the prevailing conditions’.

Justice Iftikhar phoned SHCBA President Abrar Hasan on Thursday morning and told him that it was not possible for him to keep his engagement because of the difficulties being faced by him. He promised to participate in any function ‘when circumstances permit’.

The SHCBA, meanwhile, condemned the police violence on protesting lawyers in Quetta. It warned that the legal profession would not be browbeaten by police actions. Four of its members, meanwhile, observed a three-hour token hunger strike on Thursday. They were Sindh Bar Council Vice-Chairman M. Amin Lakhani and members M. Khalil Dogar, Zia Ahmed Awan and Salahuddin Gandapur and Yusuf Ali Shaikh. They vowed to continue their struggle till the acceptance of their demands.

PPP and Awami Tehrik leaders Mian Raza Rabbani and Rasool Bux Palijo former minister Mir Nawaz Khan Marwat, Pakistan Bar Council members Abul Inam and Yaseen Khan Azad garlanded the protesters and assured them of their continued support. The association boycotted court proceedings from 10.30am to 11am.