ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: Lawyers across the country observed protest day against unprecedented hike in the prices of petroleum products and other articles of daily use on Friday.

The protest call was given by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC).

In a statement here, the PBC said lawyers held protest demonstrations against price hike and anti-people policies of the government in different cities. Protest meetings were also held by various bar associations.

The speakers condemned wastage of huge public funds by the rulers on their perks and privileges.

Leaders of the bar associations demanded that instead of breaking the backbone of the poor with unprecedented price hike, wastage of public funds in the guise of perks and privileges of the rulers should be curtailed.

They condemned increase in the salaries, perks and privileges of the president, prime minister, governors, chief ministers, ministers, advisers, MNAs, senators and MPAs. They also flayed huge expenses incurred on the foreign trips of the president and prime minister.

Protest meetings were held under the auspices of the Supreme Court Bar Association and high courts bar associations in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Abbotabad and Dera Ismail Khan.

Qazi Jameel, Chaudhry Ikram, Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari, Justice (retired) Fakharun Nisa and other bar leaders spoke on the occasion.

Similar protest meetings were held in almost all districts under the auspices of the district bar associations.—PPI