BAHAWALPUR: Lawyers boycotted courts on Tuesday after the Civil Lines police booked 50 lawyers in a criminal case.

According to police sources, several lawyers built chambers on the premises of district court late on Monday. On Tuesday morning, City Assistant Commissioner Rao Tasleam got registered a first information report under Section 382/1 of the Pakistan Penal Code for illegal constructions on state land and sealed the same.

DPO’s spokesperson Rehan Gilani said there were 10 nominated lawyers and 50 unidentified in the case. He the FIR had been sealed and police could not disclose the nominated lawyers’ names.

DEMO: People placed the body of a woman on the road and protested against the doctors of Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) for their alleged negligence in her death.

They said Allah Wasayi, 65, was admitted to the BVH on Monday and died on Tuesday due to doctors’ negligence. They blocked the road for hours.

Long queues of vehicles were lined on both sides.

Later, they ended the blockade on the intervention of police.

TRIBUNAL: The election tribunal, headed by retired

district and sessions judge Chaudhry Abdul Hafeaz, recorded evidence of eight presiding officers in the election petition of PML-N’s Makhdum Ahmed Alam Anwar against PPP MNA Khwaja Qutbuddin of NA-192 (Rahim Yar Khan).

A request to summon the presiding officers and record their evidence was made by the counsel for the respondent.

After the evidence of eight officers, the tribunal adjourned the case till Oct 27.

Both parties are contesting the process of recounting of votes and its report has been submitted with the tribunal by a special commission.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2014