June 10, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 24, 1428

QUETTA, June 9: A single bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Javed Iqbal on Saturday ordered the Balochistan government to submit a report within a week about cases registered against lawyers in the province.

The court issued the order when Imranul Haq, vice-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, requested during the hearing of a suo motu notice to quash the cases against lawyers.

The judge had taken suo motu notice of the police baton-charge against the lawyers’ procession in Quetta on March 21. An inquiry tribunal headed by Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari of the Balochistan High Court submitted the report to the apex court.

The provincial chief secretary, provincial police officer, Quetta city nazim, Balochistan advocate-general and other officials were present during the hearing.

BOYCOTT: Baloch Bar Association organiser Muhammad Sadiq Raisani advocate has claimed that the lawyers in Quetta and other district headquarters have boycotted the court proceedings in protest over the government excesses against the Baloch people.

In a statement on Saturday, he said the lawyers, on the call of the Baloch Bar Association, had not attended the proceedings of courts in Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Bela, Gwadar, Panjgur, Kharan, Turbat, Chaghai, Sibi, Dera Murad Jamali and Usta Muhammad.

He said the boycott was against the military operation in the province and arrest of political leaders and activists.