LAHORE, March 5: Participants in a Lahore Bar Association procession taken out to express solidarity with the Iraqi people, had a scuffle with police on Wednesday.

The procession was taken out from the Aiwan-i-Adl to Regal Chowk. The participants displayed placards and raised slogans against the US.

As they reached Regal Chowk, a group of 10 to 15 lawyers kept on marching towards the Punjab Assembly. DSP Tahir Alam asked his subordinates to stop them from moving ahead. In the meanwhile, a policeman intercepted one of the lawyers with his stick.

The lawyer became furious and scuffled with the policeman besides abusing him for manhandling. He was also joined by a dozen of his colleagues who also thrashed the policeman. Later, they rushed towards DSP Tahir and had a scuffle with him for having instructed to stop them. The DSP, after a while, ran towards Hall Road where he was surrounded by a police contingent which was about to baton-charge the lawyers.

However, other lawyers pacified their angry colleagues and avoided the situation from going worse.

Later, LBA president Mansoor Afridi said the US intentions to wage a war on Iraq on the pretext of possessing biological arms and weapons of mass destruction was a conspiracy against Islam.

He said the US was adamant to launch an attack on Iraq despite having lost the support of its allies. The UN was playing the role of a silent spectator and had not yet warned the US of its action if it attacked Iraq without its permission, he added.

He said Pakistani people, especially the lawyers, would always stand by the Iraqis in their struggle of survival.

Other office-bearers of the LBA also delivered speeches to express solidarity with the Iraqis after which the demonstrators dispersed.

LHCBA: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) will take out a pro-Iraq rally on Thursday (today).