RAWALPINDI, May 31: Lawyers on Thursday observed a complete strike at the district courts as part of their ongoing protest in support of the chief justice of Pakistan. The boycott almost paralysed the court proceedings as litigants stayed away and under-trial prisoners were not produced in the courts.

The strike was observed on the call of the lawyers’ national action committee, which has decided to boycott courts and hold protest rallies on every Thursday.

A large number of lawyers led by Lahore High Court Bar Association president Sardar Asmatullah gathered at the Katchery chowk and shouted anti-government and anti-MQM slogans. Speaking on the occasion, the lawyers’ representatives said army was a respectable institution but they have to go to barracks and safeguard the boundaries of the country. They said people wanted true democracy in the country without the interference of the army.

Earlier, the general body of the District Bar Association in a meeting criticised Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim for questioning the impartiality of the Sindh High Court. A resolution moved by Taufeeq Asif Advocate said the chief minister’s statement that the provincial government would not cooperate with the high court if it showed partiality was un- called for. The SHC had taken suo motu action against the May 12 killings in Karachi.

Senior lawyer Supreme Court of Pakistan, Sardar Ishaq Advocate along with his colleagues took part in the daily hunger strike. They were joined by former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Chaudhry Tanveer.