September 19, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 18, 1429

BAHAWALPUR, Sept 18: Lawyers locked courts in various districts of south Punjab on Thursday to press for the reinstatement of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other judges.

In Bahawalpur, lawyers observed a complete strike and boycotted courts. Some lawyers, led by district bar president Yahiya Khan and general secretary Jamil Ahmed, closed main gates of subordinate courts. They did not allow lawyers and litigants in. During the process, judges remained in their retiring rooms. No dissident members of the district bar or those loyal to the Pakistan People’s Party were seen on court premises. A protest camp was also set up on the court premises.

The Gujranwala District Bar Association returned a Rs56,000 government cheque for its library and announced it would not accept any grant from the government till reinstatement of all judges.

The lawyers also boycotted courts. A meeting at the bar room, chaired by bar president Malik Shaukat Awan, adopted a resolution unanimously and returned the government grant. The meeting condemned US attacks in tribal areas and demanded that the army chief withdraw forces from tribal areas.

In Layyah, lawyers locked district court gates and allowed only judges in. Even court staff was not allowed in. On this occasion, lawyers raised slogans against the government and demanded Iftikhar Chaudhry’s reinstatement as chief justice of Pakistan.

Speaking to lawyers, Saifullah Saeed said the strike belied the claims that the lawyers’ movement had subsided. A brief scuffle was also witnessed between lawyers and police when the former closed sessions court gates and the latter tried to stop them.

In Sahiwal, lawyers observed a complete strike and took out a rally. District Bar Association President Tahir Bashir said lawyers would stand united for Mr Chaudhry’s reinstatement. “The judges who are taking oath are now admitting that the Nov 3 action was legal,” he told protesting lawyers. He said the lawyers’ movement would continue till the restoration of an independent judiciary.

In Khanewal too, lawyers observed a complete strike and boycotted courts. As a result, courts in Mianchannu and Jahanian also remained deserted.