HYDERABAD, March 13: Lawyers targeted Attorney General Malik Abdul Qayyum and Sharifuddin Pirzada as they boycotted courts across the province on Thursday as part of black flag week being observed by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to press for their demand for the reinstatement of deposed judges.

In Hyderabad, lawyers staged a rally after holding a general body meeting and hoisted black flag on the bar room in the civil courts’ building. The rally started from civil courts and marched on Risala Road before terminating at the press club.

The lawyers raised slogans against President Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, Attorney General Malik Abdul Qayyum and Sharifuddin Pirzada and vowed to continue their struggle till the reinstatement of deposed judges.

In Mirpurkhas, District Bar Association members boycotted courts and held a general body meeting, which condemned government atrocities against lawyers and deposed judges.

Lawyers in Larkana, Umerkot, Naushahro Feroze, Moro, Bhirya, Kandiaro, Shikarpur, Nawab-shah and their adjoining towns also boycotted courts’ and staged processions.

Peasants: A group of peasants in Deh Rajpari, Tandojam threatened of hunger strike and even self-immolation for being ejected from lands they were cultivating since last 40 years, reports our bureau.

Mohammad Usman Talpur, Hussain Bux Talpur, Javed Talpur and others during news conference at the press club on Thursday said that they were cultivating land of Naved Ansari, an officer of a law-enforcing agency, and his brothers’ since long.

“The landlords without our knowledge had sold some 65 acres to Nadir Hussain Arain, allegedly a man of ill-repute,” they said and added: ‘Three days back we found him ploughing lands with a tractor and on objection he not only fired on us but also threatened of dire consequences.” Nadir Hussain told us to pack up as we no longer were peasants.

They said they had first claim over this land under law and prepared to pay the amount paid by Nadir Hussain as their wheat crop was still to be harvested.