FAISALABAD, Feb 16: Defying a district and sessions judge order, lawyers here on Saturday locked the district courts, besides the premises housing the offices of the district coordination officer and other revenue officials to press the authorities concerned for setting up a high court bench in Faisalabad.

The lawyers also threatened to lock down the DCO’s office on Monday (tomorrow) if their demand was not met.

On Saturday morning, bar president Javeed Iqbal and secretary Naveed Mukhtar Ghuman arrived at the sessions court flanked by a number of other lawyers and locked the courts main gate with wire locks.

As lawyers had already announced their protest plan that included locking the district courts, and were warned in writing against doing so by the district and sessions judge, a heavy police contingent was deployed on the bar premises supposedly to thwart such a bid.

However, none of the policemen present there tried to stop the lawyers from locking the courts’ main gate.

As lawyers had warned they would force the judges out of courtrooms, the judges’ attendance remained thin on Saturday.

After locking the courts, the lawyers took out a protest rally from the bar council and after passing through the District Council and Kutchery bazaars reached the Clock Tower.

Carrying banners and placards, they raised slogans in favour of establishing an LHC bench at Faisalabad and vowed to continue their struggle till the demand was met.

Some of the lawyers who tried to force shops closure at Kutchery Bazaar were stopped by their senior colleagues from doing so.

Addressing a gathering at the Clock Tower intersection, the bar president said the legal fraternity had launched movement for establishment of LHC bench here for the local population.

The bar president told Dawn that on Monday lawyers would besiege the DCO office and devise their future strategy. He said on Monday none of the judges would be allowed to enter the court premises.

SARGODHA: The Sargodha District Bar Association announced complete strike for indefinite period from Monday onwards to press their demand for the establishment of a Lahore High Court bench here.

The meeting, chaired by DBA President Syed Tayyab Sherazi, decided to observe complete strike and all the court rooms will be locked till further decision of the divisional convention scheduled to be held on 20th instant at Sargodha.