RAWALPINDI, April 17: Lawyers of the Rawalpindi Bar Association (RBA) here on Thursday observed a “Martyrs Day” on the call of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) to condemn the April 9 killings and arson in Karachi.

The lawyers were joined by the local leaders and activists of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) at their meeting held in the bar’s offices.

Speakers, who included political activists and RBA representatives, termed the April 9 incidents terrorism against the lawyers’ fraternity.

They maintained that the activities of “terrorists” in Karachi should be controlled and an independent inquiry should be conducted into the tragic incident.

Lawyers on the occasion said their struggle for the restoration of the judiciary could not be suppressed through terrorism and intimidation.

The lawyers said that they would not accept the reinstatement of the deposed judges with any package of constitutional amendments.

They said their campaign had not been chief justice specific, rather they were raising voice for the return of all sacked judges.

People of Pakistan gave their verdict against the dictatorship and President Pervez Musharraf should accept the writing on the wall, they said.

Later, the lawyers held a protest rally that was also attended by the activists of the three political parties. The protesters marched towards the residence of President Musharraf and staged a sit-in on the road leading to the former army house when they were stopped by a heavy contingent of police.

Protesters had black flags and placards inscribed with pro- deposed judges slogans and against the killing of lawyers in Karachi by, what they called, “the cronies of the president”. They also chanted slogans against dictatorship.

Meanwhile, the lawyers observed a complete boycott of court proceedings booth at district and high courts as part of the weekly routine.

APP ADDS: Lawyers’ community observed complete strike and boycotted the court proceedings at Chakwal, Talagang and Choa Saiden Shah to express their anger at last week’s riots in Karachi that left at least 10 people, including attorneys, dead.

They also observed “Youm-i-Shuhada” and lambasted those responsible for the incident.

Punjab Bar Council member Hassan Raza Pasha and District Bar Association (DBA) Chakwal Chaudhry Asad Mehmood demanded an impartial inquiry into the Karachi killings and asked the authorities to bring the perpetrators to the book.

They said their struggle would continue till the reinstatement of all deposed judges.