June 27, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 11, 1428

SAHIWAL, June 26: District Bar Association on Tuesday decided to discontinue the observance of complete strike the lawyers have been resorting to daily for the past 109 days.

DBA Chief Sheikh Muhammad Usman, who was flanked by Secretary General Mian Islamul Haq and Punjab Bar Council member Mian Tahir Bashir, announced the decision at a press conference. They said the lawyers would now observe a three-hour partial strike everyday.

Mr Usman told newsmen that the decision had been taken on the directions of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikahr Muhammad Chaudhry, SCBA president Munir A Malik and Pakistan Bar Council Vice-Chairman Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig.

He said the DBA’s National Action Committee had decided that the lawyers would now observe a partial strike daily, besides a weekly complete strike on every Thursday.

He said the partial strike would be observed from 8am to 9am and from 1pm to 3pm everyday. The lawyers would attend courts from 9am to 1pm, he added.

PICKPOCKETS HELD: Police claimed to have arrested 15 pickpockets for allegedly depriving people of their cash and valuables, who had come to welcome the CJP during his visit to Sahiwal.

Police also recovered Rs42,000 and eight mobile phones from those arrested. Most of the victims of the pickpockets were lawyers. The accused also confessed to their involvement in similar crimes committed at Patoki and Okara, the police said.