SARGODHA/FAISALABAD: Lawyers in Sargodha and Faisalabad on Monday continued their strike and alleged vandalism to press the government to accept their demand for high court benches in their cities.

The members of the Sargodha District Bar Association (DBA), once again, ransacked office of the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) although it was retrieved by the police on Sunday from the lawyers’ possession and given back to the PHA officials. The police had faced no resistance from the lawyers as it was a holiday but when the lawyers again occupied the premises on Monday, the police did not confront them.

The lawyers have made a symbolic high court bench at the PHA premises, close to the DBA, and demand the government set up the LHC bench there.

In a meeting conducted at the PHA office, they demanded the authorities to name the Club Chowk after the Sargodha high court bench.

DBA President Ansar Baloch dedicated Monday’s meeting to the APS Peshawar martyrs. He told the lawyers that Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar to resolve the issues of the lawyers, especially their demand for high court benches at five divisions of Punjab, namely DG Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Gujranwala and Faisalabad.

It may be recalled that Sargodha division lawyers have stopped court work for more than a month.

The lawyers at Faisalabad also damaged chairs they had placed in front of the sessions court and exchanged harsh words with the security staff when they were not allowed to shut down the deputy commissioner’s office on Monday.

When DBA Secretary Rahail Zafar was addressing the protesters, some of his colleagues were damaging the chairs amid slogans for closure of the DC office.

The secretary had tried to stop them; however, the lawyers ignored his words and continued to vent their ire.

The lawyers did not allow official work at the district courts and kept its main gate blocked the whole day. They did not allow any litigant to enter the office and announced that their strike would continue until establishment of the high court bench.

Addressing the gathering, the lawyers said that without locking the DC office and the District Council office, the officials would not bother to apprise the people at the helm regarding their protest.

They said the lawyers had been raising their voice peacefully; however, it seemed they had to block traffic leading to three main roads.

The secretary said a general house meeting of the DBA would be held on Wednesday to decide the future course of action.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2018