OKARA: The District Bar Association (DBA) called off strike against police on Saturday.

The DBA remained on strike for 31 days until Thursday when the police and administrative heads of Okara and Sahiwal divisions and DBA office-bears arranged a reconciliation between lawyers and police. The bar had been on strike in protest at cases against lawyers for beating a police official on court premises in the second week of March. On Friday, a DBA general house meeting announced calling off the strike.

Lawyers’ Rajput Group, however, held its own meeting and rejected the DBA decision. The group also staged a rally on the judicial premises and raised slogans against the bar office-bearers.

Also, Dawn erroneously published on April 16 that the district police officer and other police officials were on bail in cases registered by lawyers.

The fact is the cases against the policemen have not been registered and the police filed an intra-court appeal with the double bench of the Lahore High Court and got suspended the orders of the Okara additional sessions judge.

The LHC divisional bench had admitted the intra court appeal filed by police and suspended the order of the registration of a case by the justice of peace on April 5. The appeal is pending till further order after the issuance of notice to both parties.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2016