PESHAWAR, May 2: The lawyers’ community on Wednesday observed a complete boycott of courts and staged a protest demonstration.

Protesting lawyers also took exception to the closing of the Grand Trunk Road at Khairabad by the Punjab Police in a bid to stop lawyers from proceeding to Islamabad. They condemned the government’s ‘highhandedness’.

Some speakers at a protest meeting said that if the Punjab government was so scared of the people of the NWFP then the province should be allowed to join Afghanistan.

The protesters had displayed banners and placards in the Peshawar High Court and district courts.

A general body meeting of the PHC Bar Association and Peshawar District Bar Association demanded reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. The meeting was presided over by PHCBA president Abdul Lateef Afridi.

The meeting was also addressed by PHCBA secretary-general Ishtiaq Ibraheem, vice-president Mian Abdul Fayyaz, Barrister Masood Kausar, Barrister Baacha, Mohammad Essa Khan, Ghulam Nabi and Syed Tahar Khan.

The speakers urged the Supreme Court to keep a check on the violations of the Constitution by President Gen Pervez Musharraf. The court should stop the general from getting himself re-elected from the present assemblies and that too in uniform, they demanded.

They said that the unity in the lawyers’ community would bear fruit and the nation would get rid of the dictator. Even bar associations in the far-flung areas had extended full support to the movement which proved that there was complete unity among their ranks, they added. The meeting was followed by a protest march.

The protesters were chanting slogans “Go Musharraf Go” and “Long live judiciary”, and carrying banners and placards.

Our correspondent from Lakki Marwat adds: The lawyers’ fraternity of the district blocked the Bannu-Mianwali road and boycotted courts proceeding to protest against the suspension of the chief justice of Pakistan.

The District Bar Association organised a protest march from district courts to Kargil Chowk. The rally was led by Lakki Bar president Mohammad Yaqoob Khan.

Protesters staged a sit-in on the Bannu-Mianwali road, which remained closed for nearly an hour.

Speaking on the occasion, Yaqoob Khan, Fazle Alam Khan and Fazlur Rehman Begukhel said that the lawyers’ struggle would continue till the supremacy of law and restoration of true democracy.

They said they would resist any move meant to harm the sanctity of judiciary.

They demanded the withdrawal of the presidential reference against the chief justice and urged President Musharraf to quit both the offices he was holding.

They also demanded holding of fair and transparent elections in the country.

Reports of similar protests were also received from other towns.