PESHAWAR, Jan 2: Lawyers on Wednesday condemned the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and demanded an independent investigation into the incident under the supervision of the United Nations.

Members of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association and the Peshawar District Bar Association offered funeral prayers for Ms Bhutto and other people who were killed in the Liaquat Bagh suicide bombing.

In a reference arranged by the People’s Lawyers’ Forum to commemorate Ms Bhutto, a resolution was unanimously adopted which called for bringing people responsible for Ms Bhutto’s killing to justice after a thorough investigation.

The resolution, presented by the PHCBA’s president Abdul Lateef Afridi, stated that Ms Bhutto was a symbol of federation and her murder was a conspiracy against Pakistan.

Mr Afridi said that Ms Bhutto had been killed in a brutal manner by elements who did not want stability in the country.

“Ms Bhutto was a brave and courageous woman and her death will affect the war against extremism and undemocratic forces,” Mr Afridi said, adding that Ms Bhutto had always struggled against military rule and her death was a setback for democratic forces.

Reiterating that the boycott of superior courts would continue, he said that the lawyers’ movement would continue till the restoration of the pre-Nov 3 judiciary.

Condemning the removal of independent judges for prolonging unconstitutional rule of Pervez Musharraf, Mr Afridi said that the army had disfigured the constitution, rendering it utterly useless.

Leader of the PPP Barrister Masood Kausar paid tribute to Ms Bhutto and said that all political parties equally mourned her death.

Meanwhile, lawyers continued their boycott of the high court here on Wednesday.

They displayed huge portraits of deposed chief justice Tariq Pervez Khan and three other judges — Justice Shahjehan Khan, Justice Ijaz Afzal Khan and Justice Dost Muhammad Khan — who had not taken oath under the PCO.