LAHORE, Feb 7: Over 33,000 lawyers all over Punjab will boycott courts on Friday (today) in protest against the promulgation of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2002.

The call for boycott was given by the Lahore High Court Bar Association in January and endorsed by the Pakistan Bar Council, the Punjab Bar Council, the Supreme Court Bar Association, Lahore Bar Association and various district bar associations.

Office-bearers of the apex bar bodies met here on Thursday and adopted six resolutions, five of which related to the new anti-terrorism courts with army officers as their members. The sixth resolution was about the proposal to open a school at the Lahore district courts building.

The Bar leaders, through their resolutions, described the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance as “unconstitutional” and said the courts established under the ordinance would be military courts in all its intents and purposes.

They fully endorsed the call for the province-wide boycott of the court proceedings against the promulgation of ordinance.

They also resolved to convene a meeting of the Pakistan Bar Council, the Supreme Court Bar Association, the Lahore High Court Bar Association and provincial bar councils hosted by the Punjab Bar Council in Lahore on Feb 15 to consider appropriate steps to counter the anti-terrorism courts. Call for a country-wide boycott would also be considered at the meeting.

Through another resolution bar leaders urged lawyers throughout Pakistan not to appear before the anti-terrorism courts.

They also endorsed the Lahore High Court Bar Association decision to file a constitutional petition against the setting up of the courts.

They also supported and endorsed all the resolutions adopted by the Lahore Bar Association and the decisions taken by it in connection with the opening of a school in the district courts building.

Those who attended the meeting included; Supreme Court Bar president Hamid Khan, secretary Sahibzada Anwar Hameed, Punjab Bar vice-chairman Ramzan Chaudhry, Lahore High Court Bar president Mian Israrul Haq, vice-president Chaudhry Muhammad Ijaz, finance secretary Mian Irfan Akram, and Lahore Bar president Chaudhry Nisar Ahmad Kausar.