MULTAN / SIALKOT - The lawyers expressed strong reaction against the press conference of Malik Riaz, owner of a housing society, as they staged protest demonstration against him shouted slogans against federal government here on Wednesday. The black coats observed complete strike and the attorneys appeared before the courts to pursue only cases of urgent nature. The lawyers marched out of High Court Bar Multan building and gathered on the road where they burnt the effigies of President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Malik Riaz.

Speaking on the occasion, senior leaders of lawyers including Mahmood Ashraf Khan, Jaffar Bokhari, Allah Ditta, Kashif Bosan and others declared that the black coats were going to launch a movement against government and its agents from Multan. “The touts of Asif Zardari like Malik Riaz have hatched a shameful conspiracy against Supreme Court. They want to deprive judiciary of its independence but we’ll not let anyone achieve its vicious goals,” they added. They asked the nation to back the Chief Justice and Supreme Court and thwart the condemnable designs of Zardari and company.
In SIALKOT, hundreds of lawyers took out a rally to express solidarity with Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.  District Bar Association (DBA) President Shahid Mir led the rally.
Rally started from DBA premises and ended at Katchery Chowk after passing through different roads.

The protesting lawyers were carrying banners and placards and they chanted slogans against the real estate tycoon Malik Riaz. The lawyers also staged a sit-in at Allama Iqbal Chowk and expressed complete solidarity with the CJP. On the occasion, the DBA office-bearers termed it a conspiracy against the Supreme Judiciary. The DBA also passed a unanimous resolution in favour of the CJP.