KARACHI, June 5: A number of cases were put off without hearing as a bomb hoax created panic in the City Courts on Tuesday morning.

The courts were evacuated for search by the law enforcing agencies for about 45 minutes.

The General Secretary of Karachi Bar Association Naeem Qureshi said the court proceedings were running normal till the information about bomb in the City Courts was received from police. The police along with the bomb disposal squad reached the City Courts at 9.15am and the fire tenders arrived at 9.25am.

He said the buildings were evacuated and the police personnel and the bomb disposal squad thoroughly searched the suspected areas.

Referring to police, the KBA leader said the information was passed on to helpline 15 by the telephone operator of Saddar Town Police Officer who had received a call from cellphone number 0304-2965563 about a bomb at the City Courts.

On the assurance of the bomb disposal squad, he said, the court proceedings resumed after 10am. He said the information was fortunately incorrect.

Mr Qureshi said it was another attempt of those opposing lawyers’ movement for independence of judiciary to create unrest among the lawyers.

The government was busy hatching conspiracies to weaken the movement, he said claiming that lawyers are determined to move ahead even at the cost of their lives and property.

He said anonymous calls or death threats could not scare lawyers.