SAHIWAL, May 7: Hundreds of lawyers from Okara, Depalpur, Bahawalnagar and Multan took out a big protest procession on Monday which started from the Sahiwal bar room.

The procession was led by Sahiwal DBA president Sheikh Muhammad Usman, Okara bar president Maqbool Husain Shakir, Depalpur bar chief Niaz Ahmed Phullarwan and lawyers’ representatives from other districts.

Addressing the protest rally, Sahiwal bar chief Sheikh Muhammad Usman alleged that on the night of May 4 (Friday) petrol shells had been thrown on the peaceful torch-bearing procession under a planned conspiracy. He accused the police of state terrorism.

The lawyers unanimously decided to observe a complete strike on Tuesday in Multan, Vehari, Okara, Depalpur, Pakpattan and Sahiwal and hold demonstrations against what they said the police atrocities on their colleagues.

The protesters also staged a sit-in outside the offices of the district nazim and the DCO. They chanted slogans against the government and General Pervez Musharraf.

The Sahiwal DBA in a resolution has decided to observe May 4 every year as the day of police violence on peaceful lawyers.

The resolution also demanded approaching the UN secretary-general to observe May 4 universally the ‘day of lawyers’.

Meanwhile, the district bar has announced provision of plastic surgery facilities to those lawyers who suffered burn injuries during the May 4 incident. Many lawyers visited the hospital and inquired after their six colleagues who suffered burn injuries.