LAHORE, April 10: Lawyers on Thursday organised protest rallies throughout Punjab against Wednesday’s killings in Karachi.

Addressing the protesters, bar leaders held the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) responsible for the killings and arson in the city.

At the general house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, its president Anwar Kamal said: “We warn the government that the Karachi killings, manhandling of Dr Sher Afgan Niazi, setting on fire buildings of the District Bar Mianwali and Malir and Karachi bars were conspiracies against democracy and the movement for the restoration of judiciary.”

He criticised statements of MQM chief Altaf Hussain, PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervez Elahi and said that from Khyber to Karachi lawyers were united and would not hesitate to render sacrifices for restoration of the judiciary.

The meeting unanimously adopted a resolution which declared President Pervez Musharraf and the MQM responsible for the killings in Karachi. The resolution also declared MQM a terrorist organisation.

In another move, office-bearers of sixty district bar associations of the country, including the Supreme Court and all high court bars, threatened to resign if SCBA president Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan refused to withdraw his resignation.

Our Quetta Correspondent adds: Responding to a call of the Balochistan Bar Council, Balochistan Bar Association and Balochistan High Court Bar Association, lawyers boycotted court proceedings in Quetta and district headquarters of the province against the killing and attack on lawyers in Karachi.

They took out a procession from the district court which passing through different roads culminated at the Manan Chowk.

Senior lawyer Ali Ahmed Kurd led the procession which was attended by Balochistan Bar Council vice-chairman Hashim Khan Kakar, Balochistan Bar Association president Baz Mohammad Kakar and Balochistan High Court Bar Association president Shakeel Ahmed Hadi.

The protesters raised slogans against President Musharraf and the MQM. They vowed to continue struggle against dictatorship and for the rule of law.