QUETTA, March 21: Police used baton and teargas to stop a procession of lawyers, taken out on Wednesday in protest against suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, from reaching the Governor’s House and the chief minister’s official residence, while the Acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Javed Iqbal, was in the city.

Two lawyers were injured in the police assault and the Acting Chief Justice took notice of the incident on an application submitted by Advocate Imranul Haque, vice-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Justice Javed Iqbal, who had arrived here from Islamabad earlier on Wednesday on a two-day visit, went to his chamber in the Balochistan High Court building.

Acting on Mr Imranul Haque’s application, he asked the provincial chief secretary, home secretary, chief of provincial police force and the capital city police officer to appear in his chamber at 10 am today.

Vice-Chairman of Balochistan Bar Association Hashim Khan Kakar announced after the police action that lawyers would boycott court proceedings in the province on Thursday to condemn what he described as police high-handedness against the peaceful procession of lawyers.

Earlier on Wednesday, lawyers had boycotted the proceedings of courts on the call of the PBC and the SCBA in protest against the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar.

The lawyers demanded immediate reinstatement of the chief justice.