LAHORE, March 20: Lawyers continued their boycott of court proceedings on Tuesday and announced that a countrywide strike would be observed today (Wednesday) to protest against making non-functional the chief justice of Pakistan.

Lawyers decided not to make any change in the scheduled countrywide strike despite the adjournment of a reference against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry till April 3. The Supreme Judicial Council was to resume the hearing of the reference today (March 21).

The Lahore High Court Bar Association and the Lahore Bar Association held meetings of a joint action committee and finalised strategy for the countrywide strike.

The office bearers said that the lawyers would hold a peaceful rally on The Mall after general house sessions at the high court and Awan-e-Adl. No lawyer would appear in any court, come what may, the committee decided, adding that route of the rally would be finalised in the general house session on Thursday (today) shortly before the holding the demonstration.

The high court bar also appealed to traders and transporters to join them by observing a complete shutter down and wheel jam strike. A source among office bearers of the bar said the traders did not agree to the appeal.

Punjab Bar Council Vice chairman Tariq Javed Warriach also warned lawyers to be careful of few mischief mongers, who may try to sabotage the peaceful rally and turn it into a clash with police.

A general house meeting of the high court bar also paid tribute to Justice Jawad S Khwaja, who in protest against the suspension of the CJP, resigned from his office. Bar president Ahsan Bhoon said there would be a few courageous people like Khwaja, who could sacrifice everything for the sake of dignity and strengthening the judicial system in Pakistan.