LAHORE, Dec 1: Legal fraternity on Thursday staged a rally against unprovoked air strikes by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) targeting Pakistan army posts in Mohmand Agency and demanded the army should avenge the killing of 24 troops during the attack.

The rally started from Aiwan-i-Adl with the march of Lahore Bar Association members after a general house meeting. LBA President Shahzad Hasan Sheikh led the protesters carrying banners and placards. They frequently chanted slogans “Amreeka ka jo yar hy, Ghaddar hy, Ghaddar hy” (A friend of America is a traitor).

Lahore High Court Bar Association members led by president Asghar Ali Gill joined the rally at GPO Chowk. The ensuing march towards Charing Cross was also joined by members of the Pakistan Bar Council and the People’s Lawyers Forum.

On reaching the Charing Cross, media people also joined the rally with Lahore Press Club president Sarmad Bashir and Punjab Union of Journalists President Rana Azeem representing their community.

Addressing the gathering, the LBA president said lawyers, traders and the media had joined hands for the country’s sovereignty once again like they did against former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.

He announced that lawyers and traders would observe a complete strike on Dec 11, the deadline given to the US to vacate the Shamsi airbase.

LHCBA President Mr Gill in his brief speech demanded the Pakistan army should take revenge of its martyred troops. He said Nato supply line to Afghanistan should be closed down permanently and all Pakistani airbases should be vacated by foreign troops.

Supreme Court Bar Association’s former president Asma Jahangir also joined the rally but she refused to deliver a speech at Charing Cross because some of the lawyers were holding placards inscribed with portraits of the chief of army staff. Later she left the gathering.

The press club president condemned Nato attacks and also the insensitivity of the US government. He said the US called for investigation into the attacks, but it had not bothered to hold any investigation before waging war on Afghanistan and Iraq.

He criticised political parties for their absence in the rally and said at least PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and PTI chief Imran Khan should have joined it.

Traders’ leaders also spoke on the occasion.