May 25, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1429

RAWALPINDI, May 24: Lawyers of Rawalpindi Bar Association (RBA) here on Saturday observed complete boycott of the courts proceedings and left the premises at about 12 noon to join the caravan of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry at his official residence in Islamabad.

The senior members of the bar arranged refreshment for the lawyers at the parking of the district courts at 11pm and later they boarded three coaches that were arranged for the lawyers who wanted to accompany the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to Faisalabad where he was to address the lawyers’ convention.

After the lawyers left for Islamabad at noon, the court gave a deserted look, a scene often witnessed in the days soon after the November 3 emergency was imposed by President Pervez Musharraf.

Earlier in the morning different groups of lawyers roamed in the court premises dissuading their colleagues from appearing in the courts that resulted in scuffles. Hot words were also exchanged during the course, eye-witnesses said.

The only activity in the courts was obtaining new dates for the case as the litigants and under-trial prisoners had to return without any legal activity.

Many judges were either on leave while others obtained short leave and left the courts. The judges present in the courts were busy in completing the pending file works and other matters.