QUETTA, April 3: Lawyers on Tuesday stayed away from court proceedings in the provincial capital and other district headquarters and took out protest processions, calling for reinstating Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

The legal fraternity pledged to continue protests till the withdrawal of what they termed unconstitutional presidential reference.

The protests were staged on the call of the Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association.

In Quetta, the lawyers’ procession was taken out from the district court Bar room that passed through Sharae Iqbal, Meezan Chowk, Manan Chowk, Jinnah Road, Circular Road and Zarghoon Road and terminated at Assembly chowk.

The protestors were holding black flags and chanted slogans against President General Pervez Musharraf, the presidential reference and in favour of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Vice-Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council Ali Ahmed Kurd, President of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association Hadi Shakeel Ahmed and Vice-Chairman of the Balochistan Bar Council Hashim Khan Kakar addressed the gathering.

Speakers claimed that the rulers had filed an unlawful reference against the Chief Justice after the apex court had announced fair verdicts in several cases, adding that it had annoyed government high-ups.