PESHAWAR, Sept 26: The NWFP Bar Council announced that a complete strike would be observed by lawyers’ community across the province on Thursday against the filing of nomination papers by Gen Pervez Musharraf for presidential election.

The decision was taken on the call of the National Action Committee of Lawyers, secretary of the council Naeem Pervez said.

He said it was the demand of the lawyers’ community that Gen Musharraf should immediately quit both offices of the army chief and the president.

He said the post of the army chief should be handed over to a deserving general and Senate chairman should be appointed the acting president of the country.

Office-bearers of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association including its president Abdul Lateef Afridi, vice-president Mian Abdul Fayyaz and secretary-general Ishtiaq Ibraheem said that they would abide by the decision of the action committee.

They announced that a protest general body meeting and demonstration of lawyers would be held on Thursday.

He said that on Sept 29, the day when scrutiny of nomination papers would take place, lawyers would observe a strike and go to Islamabad in large numbers to stage a sit-in near the Election Commission’s building.