FAISALABAD, Nov 5: Police sealed the district court premises and local press club on Monday and arrested more than 70 lawyers and some activists of political parties. Heavy police contingents were deployed outside the district court premises, press club, all major markets and eight bazaars of the Clock Tower area.
Reports reaching here suggested that police `mercilessly’ baton-charged lawyers in Jaranwala to stop their protest rally which started from the bar premises. Resultantly eight lawyers sustained injuries while over two dozen were taken into custody.
Meanwhile, journalists observed a two hours pen-down strike as police sealed off the press club.
GUJRANWALA: Police arrested more than 60 lawyers, including district bar association president Ilyas Rehan, from the bar room.
Police also foiled lawyers’ bid to take out a rally and canned them in the process.
Police had barricaded almost all gates of the district courts and occupied the bar room.
The lawyers pledged that their movement would continued till the restoration of democracy and reinstatement of judges. Bar general secretary Amir Munir Bagri said that lawyers would observe complete strike on Tuesday.
SIALKOT: Two dozens lawyers were injured when police resorted to severe baton charge to stop their rallies in Sialkot, Daska and Pasrur.
In Daska, police also used teargas shells. Most of the local markets remained closed.
Crackdown on political workers also continued on Monday as Sialkot police arrested 32 more PML-N and Jamat-i-Islami activists from Sialkot and Narowal districts.
On Sunday, the police had detained 117 political activists.
KASUR: Police baton charged hundreds of lawyers and detained dozens, including DBA President Munir Ahmed. Police ransacked the Kasur bar auditorium and lawyers’ chambers and the bar room and deflated the tyres of lawyers’ vehicles parked on the court premises.
In Chunian, police besieged bar auditorium and did not let lawyers come out. Traders threatened to observe shutter-down strike if lawyers were not released. Police injured dozens of lawyers and arrested 10 of them. In Pattoki, no rely was taken out but lawyers completely boycotted court proceedings.
MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Police baton charged and tear gassed the lawyers’ rally leaving eight lawyers injured. The lawyers also retaliated with stone pelting and injured a few policemen. After the clash, police besieged the DBA compound and arrested 17 lawyers and a dozen of litigants.
GUJRAT: Police arrested 10 lawyers amidst protests. Those arrested include Gujrat DBA Secretary General Mohammad Ilyas, Asghar Passowal, Badarul Salam and Syed Waseem Haider. The DBA observed a complete strike.
SARGODHA: Police arrested over a dozen lawyers, including DBA general secretary and over three dozen leaders of Pakistan People’s Party.
The policed had encircled the district courts premises in the morning and denied entry to all.
SHEIKHUPURA: Twentyfive lawyers were picked up by city police from the bar room on Monday. Among them were bar’s general secretary Abdul Qayyum, Hafiz Atsham advocate and others.
Bar president Nasrulla Wattoo who evaded arrest said the lawyers community would continue their struggle till the removal of Gen Musharraf.
MULTAN: Lawyers, political activists and journalists protested against the imposition of emergency, suspension of constitution and human rights and curbs on media.
Lawyers of both district and high court bars boycotted courts and demonstrated on the premises of courts. They chanted slogans against the PPP when former PPP MPA Salahuddin Dogar tried to deliver a speech.
The Multan Union of Journalists also held a meeting and demanded immediate removal of police from press clubs, lifting of a ban on TV channels and release of the arrested journalists, political workers and lawyers.
Workers of PML-N and the MSF, led by Tariq Naeemullah, staged a protest at Chowk Purani Tehsil Bosan Road, Chowk Nawan Shehr and Hafiz Jamal Road.
In Dera Ghazi Khan police arrested two lawyers, including Muhammad Yaqoob the bar general secretary.
BAHAWALPUR: Members of district and high court bar associations observed a strike.
The DBA held a general body meeting where it was announced that bar president Yahya Khan had been arrested from his house on Sunday night. In his absence, vice-president Ahmed Bakhsh presided over the meeting which was addressed by several members.
Some HCBA members gathered at the barroom and delivered speeches against the PCO. They also staged a sit-in on the high court premises and did not appear in the court of Justice Sheikh Hakim Ali, who took oath in Lahore under the PCO.
Meanwhile, police arrested union council nazim Qayyum Azam, also a PML-N leader. It was also learnt that the PPP activists, who were arrested on Sunday, were released on the same day.
MIANWALI: Police action left scores of protesting lawyers injured. Later five of them were arrested.
The police hunt for PML-N and PTI activists also continued on Monday.
KHANEWAL: The DBA took out a procession within premises of the district courts. Bar president Chaudhhry Ghulam Hussain, who is in hiding to evade arrest, told Dawn by phone that lawyers movement would continue.
SAHIWAL: Hundreds of lawyers boycotted the courts. Protest leaders vowed to continue the protest.
Sahiwal police meanwhile arrested PML-N information secretary Masood Khan Mehmand.
The lawyers also boycotted courts in Vehari, Muzaffargarh.
In Toba Tek Singh, police arrested nine lawyers.
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