KARACHI, Aug 22: Legal proceedings remained suspended on Tuesday in the city courts as the legal fraternity went on a boycott to protest against the grant of bail to a fake lawyer by a judicial magistrate.

The Karachi Bar Association, which had given the call for boycott, demanded of the chief justice to terminate the services of Judicial Magistrate, South, Syed Ahmed Yousuf, who had given bail to Malik Mohammed Saeed Azhar.The city court premises gave a deserted look as lawyers did not appear in courts. The stamp vendors and the two canteens on the premises also remained closed.

The jail authorities sent the undertrial prisoners to the courts, but they remained confined to the City Courts lock-up as lawyers enforced a complete boycott. The judges and judicial magistrates spent the day in their offices and chambers.

According to KBA president Mehmoodul Hassan, Malik Mohammed Saeed Azhar was an impostor, who had been appearing before courts as defence counsel in many cases.

He said the fake lawyer was got arrested in July on the complaint of the KBA and he was granted bail by the magistrate on “false medical grounds”.

—Staff Reporter