PESHAWAR, July 5: Amid boycott of courts here, lawyers on Thursday called upon opposition parties to reach a consensus at the multi-party conference on the single agenda of Gen Pervez Musharraf’s removal from the helm of affairs.

They termed the Lal Masjid issue a drama staged by the government to deflect attention of people from key issues, like the reference against the chief justice, May 12 killings in Karachi and the multi-party conference in London.

The lawyers reiterated their stance not to allow the Muttahida Qaumi Movement to set up its offices in the province and said the people responsible for the May 12 bloodshed should be brought to book.

On a call of the Pakistan Bar Council, lawyers across the country have been observing strike every Thursday to express solidarity with Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and against the reference filed against him.

A joint protest meeting of members of Peshawar High Court and Peshawar District Bar associations was held under PHCBA president Abdul Lateef Afridi.

In a unanimously-adopted resolution, the meeting observed that the country was passing through a defining and crucial phase and the opposition parties should agree on removing Gen Musharraf from power.

The lawyers resolved to continue their struggle for the independence of the judiciary and to resist any decision by the apex court under the government’s pressure.

They said the issue could have been resolved months ago but the government intentionally kept it lingering on so it could achieve different objectives.

They also criticised the role of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in the ongoing judicial crisis, saying that after the May 12 carnage, the MQM had once again turned into a party of mohajirs.

Mr Afridi said the government itself was encouraging militancy in different areas. “Who provided arms and ammunition to the Lal Masjid?” he asked.

“The government is scared of the multi -party conference and the ongoing movement launched by lawyers. Therefore, it staged this drama of Jamia Hafsa.”

He requested bar members not to criticise the role of political workers in the ongoing crisis because most of the people killed on May 12 were activists of different opposition parties. He said all opposition parties should participate in the MPC and play their due role.

Pakistan Bar Council member Qazi Mohammad Anwer said the lawyers were united.