HYDERABAD, May 9: Lawyers across Sindh on Wednesday celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to stay Supreme Judicial Council’s proceedings and termed it a ‘victory for the judiciary.’

On the call of the counsel of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, jubilant lawyers took out rallies and danced to national songs amid slogans in praise of the chief justice and in support of independent judiciary.

In Hyderabad, lawyers boycotted courts and observed a token hunger strike outside the civil courts building.

They cut cakes in the Akhund Hall of the Civil Courts building and distributed sweets among litigants and advocates.

They took out a rally which terminated at the press club, and vowed to continue the struggle, saying that the battle was not yet over.

Speaking on the occasion, the president of the Hyderabad chapter of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Abdul Sattar Kazi, HCBA general secretary Allah Bachayo Soomro and Hyderabad District Bar Association general secretary Noorul Haq Qureshi said that it was high time that the army returned to barracks otherwise, they added, lawyers would be compelled to raise the slogan of "Go Musharraf go".

They said that the lawyers were fighting for independence of judiciary and fundamental rights of the people.

They said that the people would accord a historic welcome to Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in Karachi on May 12, and condemned the government's action to seal the office of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Munir A. Malik in Karachi.

They said that the apex court’s decision to suspend the SJC’s proceedings was a major decision.

Lawyers, led by DBA president Abdul Hakeem Memon, cut a cake in Tando Mohammad Khan.

Our Nawabshah correspondent adds: Lawyers celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision with a rally which emerged from the sessions court and returned to the starting point after going around the Court Road, Kutchehry Road and Masjid Road.

They played musical instruments and danced on the roads in jubilation.

Leaders of the community, Ali Mohammad Dahri and Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, said that the decision was a victory of the lawyers’ struggle.

They criticised the government’s move to seal the office of the PSBA president and called it a shameful act.

Our Mirpurkhas correspondent adds: A lawyers’ meeting at the bar room celebrated the apex court’s decision after boycotting court proceedings. The lawyers distributed sweets in the court.

Similar celebrations were held in Sukkur, Larkana and other cities and towns of the province.