PESHAWAR, Sept 17: The lawyers’ community here on Monday boycotted all the courts in protest against an offensive and anti-Islamic movie produced in US and called upon the government to sever ties with Washington.

The protesting lawyers also demanded of the US government to arrest the persons involved in the making the blasphemous movie including its producer and director and award them punishment.

The boycott and black day was observed on the call of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council which had asked all the bar associations in the province to observe boycott and held meetings and demonstrations.

The lawyers held a general body meeting under the aegis of Peshawar High Court Bar Association which was followed by a protest demonstration. The lawyers marched on Sher Shah Suri and Khyber roads.

They were carrying black flags, banners and placards inscribed with anti-US slogans. The protesters were shouting slogans against Pastor Terry Jones and the producer of the film. Black flags were also hoisted on the premises of the Peshawar High Court and Judicial Complex.

The general body meeting was addressed by Qazi Mohammad Anwer, Mohammad Essa Khan, Ghulam Nabi, Arbab Usman, Qazi Jawad Ahsanullah and others. They condemned the federal government and the Parliament for not raising the issue of the blasphemous film with the US government in a befitting manner.

The speakers said that this issue should not be seen in isolation and in fact it was a conspiracy against the Muslim Ummah.
However, they said that the planner of this conspiracy did not realise that this film would result in unity of Muslims across the globe.

They said that Islam was religion of peace and tranquillity and it was the Jewish and supporters of crusades who had always been taking provocative steps. They recalled that in past few years these lobbies had hatched several conspiracies including the publishing of blasphemous cartoons, desecration of Holy Quran at Bagram Air Base and by Pastor Terry Jones, etc.

They said that the Muslims were not extremists and in fact the US and the western countries were more extremist.

The speakers criticised the government and armed forces for their failure to stop drone attacks in the tribal areas and demanded that the government should quit over its failure.

MARDAN: District Bar Association Mardan on Monday took to the streets against the blasphemous video about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and condemned the said act.

Advocate Abdul Ahad Khan, the president of district bar association Mardan led the lawyers’ rally which was attended by a large number of lawyers.

They also boycotted the court proceedings and observed full-day strike to press the government for taking effective steps in this regard.

LAKKI MARWAT: On the call of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, the district bar association boycotted court proceedings on Monday to record protest against the film.

Legal fraternity of the district stayed away from courts and held a meeting under the chair of bar’s president, Advocate Naimatullah Khan Khoidadkhel. Mr Naitmatullah said at the meeting that American-Jewish lobby was behind the making of profane film and the Muslim world leaders should wage jihad against them.

He said that all those people who worked in the blasphemous film should immediately be arrested and executed for hurting the religious sentiments of Muslim Ummah. He called upon the government to lodge a protest against the anti-Islam film and sever ties with United States.