QUETTA: Lawyers boycotted court proceedings across Balochistan on Monday in protest against filing of a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court.

No lawyer appeared in the Balo­ch­istan High Court and all subordinate courts in the province.

Leaders of the Balochistan Bar Council, Balochistan High Court Bar Association and Quetta Bar Association have announced lunching a countrywide protest after Eid.

They said that a joint conference of all bar councils and associations would be convened to evolve a strategy for launching the protest movement.

Balochistan’s lawyers also announced that they would be present in Islamabad on June 14, when the Supreme Judicial Council will start hearing of the reference against Justice Isa and other judges.

“We will not compromise on the independence of the judiciary and oppose filing of fake references against an honest and respected judge of the Supreme Court,” Balochistan Bar Council Vice Chairmen Attaullah Langove said.

According to reports, the lawyers also boycotted court proceedings in Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Khuzdar, Turbat, Gwadar, Nushki, Kalat, Mastung, Loralai, Chaman, Zhob, Pishin, Sibi and other cities of Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2019