KARACHI, April 24: Lawyers on Thursday observed a boycott of the legal proceedings at the City Courts and the Malir District Courts in response to the Pakistan Bar Council’s call for the weekly protest against Gen Musharraf’s act of ousting judges of the Supreme Court and high courts under the Nov 3 Provisional Constitution Order.

The Karachi Bar Association held a general body meeting at the City Courts to reiterate the legal fraternity’s resolve to continue its struggle till the reinstatement of all deposed judges.

The meeting was addressed by Sindh president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Saleem Zia, who categorically stated that his party would not accept any package or proposal envisaging a reduction in the tenure of judges. He assured the bar members that all deposed judges would be reinstated in accordance with the Murree Declaration.

He said the PML-N was not interested in joining the ruling coalition at the Centre but it believed that power-sharing with the PPP would help implement the Murree Declaration.

He also repeated his party’s stance that the elements involved in the April 9 incidents in Karachi were the same who were responsible of the May 12 mayhem. “Such elements must be exposed and punished,” he stressed.