KARACHI, March 19: Court proceedings remained suspended on Saturday in the city courts as lawyers observed a complete boycott in protest against police baton-charge of lawyers in district courts of Rawalpindi and demolishing of lawyer’s chambers in Gujar Khan. The city courts wore a deserted look as a majority of lawyers did not attend the court proceedings. The Karachi Bar Association held an emergency meeting which was addressed by its leaders.

Police, however, brought suspects to different courts for obtaining their remand. Most of the judges conducted the proceedings in their respective chambers.

Eye-witnesses said a large number of litigants — witnesses, paralegal staff, investigation officers, — came to the city courts in the morning, but they left in utter dismay as even the stamp vendors did not turn up due to the boycott.

The lawyers in Punjab launched a strong protest after the chambers of the lawyers were demolished in Gujar Khan, reportedly on the orders of a district and sessions judge.

Later, the situation further aggravated when police baton-charged the protesting lawyers in the district and sessions court in Rawalpindi.

The laywers also observed protest throughout northern Punjab on March 16. Lawyers belonging to Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujar Khan, Jhelum, Attock, Chakwal, Murree, Tala Gang, Pindi Gheb and other Tehsils gathered at Islamabad district Courts and staged a protest demonstration against the police highhandedness.

The lawyers are demanding dismissal of additional district and sessions judge, Gujar Khaan, Sardar Babar Khan, and the district and sessions judge, Rawalpindi, Asad Raza, from judicial service.

The KBA meeting condemned the atrocities being committed by the police on the legal fraternity. Several resolutions were also unanimously adopted in the meeting.

The meeting demanded that partisan judicial officers accused of torturing lawyers be suspended. It also urged the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, Ch Iftikhar Hussain, to conduct a judicial inquiry into the matter and initiate disciplinary action against partisan judicial officials.

Those who addressed the meeting included: KBA president, Mehmoodul Hasan, KBA general secretary, Khalid Mumtaz, vice-president, Tariq Niazi, joint secretary, Irfan Ullah Khan and members of the Sindh Bar Council, Mohammed Ali Abbasi, Aqil Lodhi and Abdul Haleem Siddiqui.