PESHAWAR, Feb 8 With the Peshawar High Court sealed for protesting lawyers on Friday, the NWFP Bar Council and all bar associations of the province unanimously decided to continue boycott of the superior courts till Feb 20.

A meeting between a delegation of senior lawyers and PHC Chief Justice Mohammad Raza Khan was held over the issue of registration of an FIR against 15 lawyers. It remained inconclusive and both sides agreed to meet again on Monday.

Police on Thursday sealed bar rooms and cafeteria on the premises of the High Court and registered a sedition case against 15 lawyers, two of them women.

“The chief justice assured us that no more raids will be conducted on the residences and offices of lawyers till Monday,” Abdul Lateef Afridi, president of the PHC Bar Association, said at a press conference.

Besides the chief justice, four other judges -- Justice Raj Muhammad Khan, Justice Shahjee Rehman, Justice Syed Mussadiq Hussain Gillani and Justice Ziauddin Khattak -- attended the meeting.

Official sources told Dawn that after the meeting the chief justice directed police not to take any action on the FIR till further orders.

On Thursday night, police raided houses of the lawyers nominated in the FIR, including the two women, Mussarat Hilali and Ayesha Malik, but they could not be arrested. They also raided Haroon Mansion, a building housing offices of lawyers.

Sources said the lawyers had gone into hiding to avoid arrest.

On Friday morning, police armed with riot gears were deployed at the high and sessions courts and the Judicial Complex to stop a meeting of the NWFP Bar Council and other bar associations. The lawyers held the meeting at the bar council`s office.

Police closed the main gate of the court and only those lawyers who had to appear before different courts were allowed to enter the premises. The court building was completely deserted, with mostly policemen roaming around.

The high court staff pulled down banners, posters and black flags displayed at the premises. They also removed huge portraits of deposed judges, including Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and Justice Tariq Pervez.

The lawyers` meeting was presided over by Qazi Mohammad Naeem, vice-chairman of the NWFP Bar Council.