May 15, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1428

RAWALPINDI, May 14: Lawyers here on Monday observed a complete strike against the killing of political workers, firing on opposition rallies and thrashing of lawyers in Karachi on May 12.

The lawyers offered ghaibana funeral prayers for the victims at Katchery Chowk. Later, they chanted slogans against President Gen Pervez Musharraf and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and accused them of fomenting violence and stopping Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary from addressing the Sindh High Court Bar Association.

The protesting lawyers blocked the busy intersection for more than two hours. Traffic was diverted to other routes on the occasion.

Addressing the protesters, Lahore High Court Bar’s Rawalpindi chapter President Sardar Asmatullah said lawyers’ peaceful campaign aimed at independence of judiciary and had no political motif. “The government and its allies are hell-bent on sabotaging our peaceful movement but it will fail in its attempt as the lawyers are united and have resolved to continue their movement till restoration of the CJP.”

Due to boycott of courts by the lawyers, litigants faced difficulties and returned home taking new dates.

TAXILA: On the call of Pakistan Bar Council, the legal fraternity in Taxila and Wah Cantonment also boycotted courts on Monday.

The lawyers offered Fateha for those killed during the Karachi violence.

Malik Ejaz Tahir Advocate told mediapersons that the Taxila Bar Association in its general body meeting had decided to hold a protest rally on Tuesday against the government for not allowing the chief justice to address the Sindh High Court Bar Association.

He also condemned the federal law minister’s threat to file another reference against the chief justice and said the lawyers would continue their struggle for independence of the judiciary.

The lawyers also condemned attack on the offices of Aaj TV channel in Karachi.

GUJAR KHAN: Lawyers here held a protest rally to condemn killings and attack on the building of a private TV channel in Karachi.

The rally, led by Gujar Khan Bar Association general secretary Tayab Raza Kazmi, former presidents Iftikhar Hussain Qureshi and Naseem Dar, started from the Bar office and after reaching GT Road Chowk returned to the local courts.

The lawyers were chanting slogans against President Musharraf and the MQM. They criticised the provincial government and governor of Sindh for overlooking violence on Karachi streets that led to many deaths.

ATTOCK: The lawyers throughout the district of Attock on Monday observed a complete strike to denounce what they said unleashing of state-sponsored fascism on lawyers and political workers in Karachi on May 12.