GUJRAT, June 28: Over 600 clients affected by lawyers' strike on Monday took out a protest rally against lawyers, attacked the bar office, ransacked its furniture and thrashed some of the lawyers as well.

The bar office came under attack when the lawyers were present at a meeting convened to take a disciplinary action against those lawyers who had called off their strike against the DPO.

Around 1,200 clients from various parts of the district reached Zahoor Elahi Stadium in buses and other vehicles. They were also accompanied by several elected representatives.

They took out the rally and assembled at district courts where they chanted slogans against the bar president and other lawyers. They demanded of the lawyers to either reimburse their fees or call off their strike and appear in courts.

Speaking on the occasion, their representatives alleged that the bar president had been misusing his powers only for personal and political gains while sufferers were only the common people.

Later, the protesters started marching towards the bar office where more than 200 lawyers were present at the meeting. As the lawyers closed the bar doors, the protesters forcibly entered the office and ransacked the furniture. They also beat up some of the lawyers while the remaining turned tail and escaped.

The protesters then gathered outside the DPO office and asked him to take a punitive action against lawyers and help them in getting back their fees. Tehsil council members Asif Dhama and Zia Ali Shah informed the DPO that the affected clients had paid heavy fees to lawyers for cases, but they were not returning the fee.

DPO Raja Munawar Hussain said that he was ready to take the oath in any mosque that the nephew of Gulraiz Warraich advocate was a dacoit. He said the advocate turned hostile and submitted a requisition when he refused to set free his nephew.

The protesters dispersed after an assurance given by the DPO that the action would be taken against lawyers if they submitted written applications for getting back their fees.