PAKISTAN

ISLAMABAD: The lawyers on Monday boycotted courts across the country to register protest against presidential orders about the appointment of judges without consulting the Chief Justice.

Responding to the appeal of National Coordination Council, a large number of lawyers converged at Shahra-e-Dastoor in Islamabad to protest the presidential orders. They chanted anti-government slogans.

The lawyers’ National Coordination Council held the meeting of its General Body at Shahra-e-Dastoor.

In addition, complete boycott of the courts proceeding was witnessed in Rawalpindi District Bar and High Court. A large number of lawyers also took part in the protest in Jehlum, Gojar Khan, Taxela and Talagang.

In Lahore, the lawyers observed a partial boycott of the court proceeding in response to the strike call. According to reports, on the request of lawyers, judges heard important cases in their chambers, while limited activities were seen in District and Session Court.

The lawyers of the Lahore High Court Bar seemed divided in two groups. One group was chanting slogans in favour of Chief Justice while the other group was supporting President Asif Ali Zardari.

In Karachi, the lawyers boycotted court proceeding in City Court and other courts on the appeal of Sindh High Court Bar. Similarly, boycott was also witnessed in Sindh High Court also to show solidarity with the Supreme Court.

Besides, lawyers stages protest in Peshawar and Balochistan also against the judges’ appointments.

It may be reminder here that President Asif Ali Zardari had appointed Saqib Nisar, a judge in the Lahore High Court, as chief justice of that court and Khawaja Sharif, the current chief justice in Lahore, as a Supreme Court judge.