Lawyers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa boycotted courts in protest against the alleged anti-judiciary campaign launched by the real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain.The lawyers’ bodies observed complete boycott of the courts on the call of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council to show solidarity with the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and register protest against the anti-judiciary campaign.

Like other parts of the province, lawyers in the provincial capital observed boycott of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and the subordinate courts. The Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) and Peshawar District Bar Association (PDBA) held a joint protest meeting in the PHC Bar Room. It was chaired by the PHCBA President Abdul Lateef Afridi.

PHCBA General Secretary Qazi Jawad Ihsanullah Qureshi presented a resolution to express solidarity with the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

“We undertake to continue our struggle for the independence of the judiciary. We shall not tolerate anyone to defame and ridicule the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Pakistan. We stand for the establishment of rule of law in the country and vow to foil any conspiracy hatched against the superior judiciary,” the KP lawyers pledged through the unanimously passed resolution.

They also demanded that an impartial and independent inquiry be conducted to probe the allegations levelled by Malik Riaz against Dr Arsalan Iftikhar and if the accusations were found correct, both be punished according to law.

The association also condemned a few media men and anchors, who attempted to malign the judiciary during the entire episode.PHCBA President Abdul Lateef Afridi, PDBA’s President Wakeel Zaman Khattak, Ghulam Nabi, Muhammad Essa Khan, Ayaz Khan, Barrister Bacha and Mauzzam Butt advocate spoke at the protest meeting.

Lawyers in other parts of the province also boycotted courts to express solidarity with the superior judiciary.

MINGORA: The lawyers community in Swat boycotted the courts. Talking to reporters, president of Swat Bar Sher Muhammad Khan said lawyers would foil conspiracies against the supremacy and independence of the judiciary.

He said lawyers had rendered sacrifices for the restoration of the judiciary would not hesitate to launch another movement to foil conspiracy against the superior judiciary.

PTI RALLIES: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged rallies on Monday to express solidarity with judiciary on Monday.

The first rally was led by the former provincial minister Pervez Khattak, Hashim Khan Babar and Shaukat Yusafzai outside the Peshawar Press Club. The second rally was led by the provincial paert leaders Asad Qaiser and Shah Farman.

The activists of the second rally marched on the Grand Trunk Road under the leadership of Asad Qaiser, convener Salim Khan, Shah Farman, Zafar Khattak and Hamidul Haq.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the government and in favour of the judiciary, the PTI activists chanted slogans against what they termed corrupt and convicted leaders. They asked them to quit and pave way for holding next elections.

The protesters also criticised the government for failing to bring an end to the unannounced loadshedding, price hike and lawlessness, which they said had made life miserable for the people.

The PTI leaders including Pervez Khattak, Shaukat Ali and Hashim Babar in their speeches at their separate rally criticised the PPP-led coalition government for conspiring against the judiciary and judges.

They threatened the government with severe protest if it took any action against the Supreme Court chief justice. They said the people had seen the real faces of the rulers, adding they could not be deceived any more through attractive slogans.

The PTI activists in others parts of the province also staged rallies against the government and to express solidarity with the judiciary on the call of their party’s chairman Imran Khan. The speakers vowed to render every sacrifice and foil conspiracies against judiciary and judges.

Our correspondent in Nowshera adds: The activists of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday staged a rally to express solidarity with the judiciary.

The protesters chanted slogans against the government and real estate tycoon Malik Riaz after accusing them of conspiring against the judiciary. They marched through various routes before reaching the press club.

They demanded the government to constitute a commission for probing the activities of Malik Riaz.Later speaking at a press conference, the PTI leader Mohammad Riaz advocate said that his party would support the chief justice and the Supreme Court. The lawyers also boycotted the court on the directives of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association.