Lawyers strike enters 16th day

FAISALABAD: The lawyers’ strike from the establishment of a Lahore High Court Bench entered the 16th day here on Thursday. The District Bar Association (DBA) members boycotted the courts and gathered at the protest camp set up against the government for not yielding to their demand.

Later, they took out a protest rally which culminated at Chowk Kutchery Bazaar where they staged a big demonstration. Earlier, the protesting lawyers locked the main entrance of the local courts to block the entry of the litigants.

Addressing the rally, DBA president Amjad Hussain Malik, bar secretary Rohail Zafar Kainth announced that the Faisalabad lawyers would continue their strike and protest till acceptance of their demand. They said that the former government had announced establishing the Lahore High Court benches at five divisional headquarters of Punjab, including Faisalabad but nothing had been materialised as of yet.

The DBA office-bearers said that setting up of a Lahore High Court Bench here was direly needed to provide speedy and cheaper justice to the litigants of Faisalabad division at their doorsteps.

They said that Faisalabad was the third biggest commercial and industrial hub of Pakistan and its population has exceeded 15 million. The government was fetching sizeable revenue from Faisalabad but was continuously isolating the city due to some elements having vested interests. A group of lawyers came to the land record centre and shut it down forcibly.