HYDERABAD, Sept 27: Lawyers across the province boycotted court proceedings on Thursday in protest against president’s bid to get himself re-elected by the soon-to-die assemblies. Judges in all the higher and lower courts had to adjourn cases to different dates after the lawyers did not turn up to pursue their cases.

The office-bearers of the Hyderabad District Bar Association and High Court Bar Association (HCBA) led a protest in the Civil Courts’ building and raised slogans for the restoration of democracy.

The components parties of the All-Pakistan Democratic Movement (APDM) also staged a demonstration outside press club in which activists of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaat-i-Islami, Awami Tehrik, Awami National Party, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf raised slogans against Gen Musharraf.

The leaders including Haneef Siddiqui, Abdul Waheed Qureshi, Haji Sher Zaman, Dr Abdul Samad Sheikh and Zahid Mallah vowed to continue their struggle till the ouster of military dictator and added that Gen Musharraf was creating a gulf between people and the armed forces.

In Nawabshah, Khipro, Shahdadpur, Tando Adam, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Naushahro Feroze, Moro, Bhirya, Kandiaro, Jacobabad, Kandhkot, Dadu, Mehar and Khairpur Nathan Shah and their adjoining cities and towns lawyers boycotted court proceedings, wore black armbands and hoisted black flags on bar offices.