ISLAMABAD, July 26: The Pakistan Bar Council has given a countrywide strike call for Wednesday (July 28) to mount pressure on the Punjab government for immediate removal of a District Police Officer, Gujrat.

The lawyers should hoist black flags on their respective Bar buildings and hold protest meetings in their Bar rooms to protest against the alleged protection of Raja Munawar Hussain, DPO Gujrat, by the provincial government, PBC Vice-Chairman Rasheed A. Razvi said in his July 21 letter issued to all the presidents of the high court, district and tehsil bar associations of the country.

"You are requested to please motivate learned members of your esteemed bar associations for observing strike and take necessary steps for holding protest meeting on July 28," the letter said.

A joint action committee of the PBC in a recent meeting held on July 18 had expressed complete solidarity with the Gujrat District Bar Association and strongly condemned the highhandedness and excesses of the local administration, especially of the DPO of Gujrat, against members of the Gujrat District Bar Association.