June 02, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1428

ABBOTTABAD, June 1: Two lawyers of the Pakistan Lawyers Forum, Islamabad, who were going to the press club to hold a press conference on Friday, were beaten up by local lawyers near the press club building.

Advocates Rafiq R. Sanjrani and Shahjehan Khan Durrani were going to the press club in a car when they were stopped by local lawyers near the press club and thrashed. The lawyers carried a written press statement in which they had criticised the protest campagin over the ongoing judicial crisis, claiming that the CJP issue had been politicised.

It may be mentioned that the entire city is decorated with banners and hoardings put up by different political parties which are going to give a heroic welcome to Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, who will address a lawyers convention here on Saturday.

The written press statement found on the two lawyers carried three names along with addressees. The third name was of Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif who has filed a petition in the Supreme Court to bar the chief justice from his activities till the disposal of the constitutional petitions.

Later, Peshawar High Court Abbottabad Circuit Bench President Shad Mohammad Khan Advocate and President of District Bar Association Qazi Mohammad Arshad Advocate with other office bearers of the association rushed to the spot and helped both the lawyers whose teeth had been broken and their uniforms torn.