November 06, 2007	Tuesday	Shawwal 24, 1428

ABBOTTABAD, Nov 5: At least 40 lawyers were injured and more than 20 arrested when police baton-charged them to disperse a rally of theirs here on Monday. The police also detained 18 office-bearers of political parties.

The detained lawyers included Tehmas Khan Jadoon, president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, its general secretary Amjad Khan and former president of the District Bar Association Qazi Arshad.

On the call of the Supreme Court Bar Association, lawyers boycotted the court proceedings. The District Bar Association and the High Court Bar Association took out a joint procession.

HARIPUR: The law-enforcement agencies picked up at least 21 lawyers and political activists.

The police also conducted raids for the arrest of former chief minister and PML-N leader Pir Sabir Shah, former provincial minister Sardar Mushtaq Khan, Supreme Court Bar Association Vice-President Saeed Akhtar Khan, the general secretary of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, Abbottabad Bench, Javed Qureshi, Haripur Bar Association President Nawaz Swati and others.

Official sources said at least 40 lawyers and political workers had been shifted to the Haripur jail from different parts of the province.

KOHAT: Lawyers at a demonstration said the bench and the bar could not exist without each other, as both were the guardians of the Constitution.

The demonstration was organised by Supreme Court lawyer and former law minister Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gilani to pay tribute to colleagues who ran a movement for the independence of the judiciary.

KARAK: Enraged lawyers scuffled with police during a protest rally, organised by the District Bar Association, Karak, to condemn the imposition of emergency.The police registered an FIR against some lawyers for taking out the rally. The lawyers boycotted court proceedings and wore black arm bands to show solidarity with the judiciary.

Rallies and demonstrations were also held in Timergara, Swabi, Mansehra and Mardan.