LAHORE, Oct 15: The Lahore High Court Bar Association office-bearers dissociated themselves on Monday from the lawyers’ strike scheduled for Tuesday.

Speaking on behalf of the legal fraternity in his capacity as a member of the Pakistan and Punjab bar councils, Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari, however, announced that the strike would be observed as the LHCBA president and other office-bearers could not be allowed to override its general body resolutions in favour of the Afghans and against the US bombing of Afghanistan.

The decision to dissociate from the strike was announced by LHCBA president Asrarul Haq Mian after the 10 am tea-break, during which the association’s office-bearers met Chief Justice Falak Sher. The CJ had invited them to personally request the judges to attend the inauguration of the LHCBA diagnostic centre for lawyers by him at 12:30 on Tuesday.

An LHCBA press release later said there was no general body decision on strike, though an emergency session may be convened soon to consider strike and discuss the future course of action. It said the association had already set up an Afghan relief fund.

Speaking at a news conference together with Pakistan Bar Council member Kazim Khan, Punjab Bar Council members Shahid Mahmood Bhatti and Aatir Mahmood, Ghulam Qadir Jatoi of the Sindh Bar Council, Munir Malik, Humayun Mujahid Bhatti, Rao Naseem Haider and Karim Nawaz Malik, Hafiz Ansari alleged that the LHCBA president had been promised appointment as a high court judge. Offers had also been made to other office-bearers to foil the protest plan, he said.