LAHORE, May 21: District prosecutors of Lahore on Saturday announced boycott of court proceedings in protest against alleged manhandling of a colleague at the hands of a group of lawyers in the sessions court.

A district prosecutor, Saeed Ahmad Sheikh, had an argument with the counsel of a petitioner in the courtroom of District and Sessions Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem. The petitioner, Aurangzeb Khan, sought direction for Gulberg police station SHO to register a case.

During the course of hearing, the petitioner's counsel accused the district prosecutor of defending police. As the two sides exchanged hot words, the judge adjourned the matter.

Later, the petitioner's counsel, along with some other lawyers, reached the office of district prosecutor and started using abusive language against him. The lawyers manhandled Sheikh and left the spot hurling threats at him.

Condemning the incident in strong words, the district prosecutors and deputy district prosecutors abandoned their work and held a meeting where it was decided that they would not appear before courts till the lawyers who misbehaved with the officer were brought to the book.