Rawalpindi-The lawyers on Wednesday boycotted court proceedings on the call of Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) across the division in protest against behaviour of police towards the lawyers.
The strike call was given by LHCBA Rawalpindi President Zafar Mahmood Mughal in districts of Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jehlum in protest against Gujar Khan police.
The strike affected the court proceedings at district courts and LHC Rawalpindi Bench, as the law practitioners stayed away from the proceedings.
The criminal justice system remained suspended in Gujar Khan for third consecutive day, as the lawyers had barred entry of police officials in the court premises since Monday by putting a banner at the main gate of Awan-e-Adal.
The lawyers have been demanding cancellation of an FIR registered with Gujar Khan police against six lawyers and three of their clerks for beating up SI Muhammad Aslam in court premises on March 18. They also want the police high-ups to transfer the SI out of Gujar Khan.
Meanwhile, the representatives of the lawyers held a meeting at Gujar Khan Bar and criticized the police for registering case against lawyers and vowed to continue their protest till their demands were fulfilled.
President District Bar Association Sajjad Akbar Abbasi told The Nation that he talked with ASP Gujar Khan Circle Syed Muhammad Ali for peaceful resolution of the issue.
He said that the police officer was not ready to cancel the FIR or transfer the SI. He said that the lawyers would continue their boycott of court proceedings till their demands are fulfilled.
He added that the bar would hold a convention of lawyers in Rawalpindi bar on Saturday in favour of Gujar Khan Bar President Asad Umer who had also been nominated in the FIR.
A senior police officer told The Nation that police could not cancel the FIR, as the complainant SI was beaten up black and blue by lawyers in court premises and a medical examination had confirmed the torture. He said that the three nominate clerks had already obtained pre-arrest bail in the case.
He added that the police high-ups had also written letters to Pakistan Bar Council, Punjab Bar Council, registrars of Supreme Court and that of LHC to cancel licenses of the lawyers nominated in the case.