March 07, 2008	Friday	Safar 28, 1429

HYDERABAD, March 6: Lawyers boycotted courts in many parts of the province on Thursday in response to a call of weekly protests given by the Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association to press the government for reinstating the deposed judges of superior courts.

In Hyderabad, lawyers wearing black armbands boycotted courts and hoisted black flag on the bar room. They held a general body meeting in the civil courts building and then staged a rally.

Led by Hyderabad District Bar Association president Abdul Aziz Sheikh, vice-president of High Court Bar Association Abdul Rehman Sheikh, joint secretary Ayaz Tunio and former president Chaudhry Bashir Gujjar, they marched on the Fatima Jinnah Road, raising slogans “Go Musharraf Go”.

A large of members of general public joined the rally, which terminated at the civil courts building where it had started, and showered lawyers with rose petals.

The leaders said that their struggle had forced the rulers to release Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Ali Ahmed Kurd and Tariq Mehmood.

They would not rest at peace until the deposed chief justice and other judges were also reinstated, they vowed.

They said that people knew only Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry as real chief justice of the country and they would never accept any black laws.

They called for immediate reinstatement of judges with full protocol and urged the president to stop playing with the solidarity of the country.

Our Mirpurkhas correspondent adds: Lawyers boycotted courts proceedings and held general body meeting in the bar room to condemn the government for detention of judges and lawyers.

Lawyers in Umerkot, Shikarpur, Naushahro Feroze, Moro, Bhirya town and Kandiaro also boycotted courts. They were led by Abdul Salam Luhrani, Muzaffar Panhwar and others.