MARDAN, Nov 24: More than 400 lawyers were affected when the Water and Power Development Authority disconnected power to the bar room and their offices following dismissal of a suit against the authority and vacation of stay by the senior civil judge.

Wapda officials had filed a suit against the Mardan Bar Association (MBA) four years back stating that the district courts lawyers were not paying electricity bill, amounting to Rs700,000.

The lawyers obtained a stay and pleaded that the district courts was a property of the administration, it was responsible for paying the bill.

More than 400 lawyers practice in the district courts.

An MBA meeting presided over by its president, Abdul Hamid Khan advocate, expressed anger over the harsh attitude of the judge with the lawyer community and the litigants.

The lawyers decided to boycott the hearings in his court and appealed to Peshawar High Court chief justice to transfer him immediately.

Senior Civil Judge Syed Kamal Shah rejected the allegations and said the application for stay was dismissed on merit.