MANDI BAHAUDDIN - On the call of Punjab Bar Council, the lawyers fraternity across the district observed boycott of courts for two days i.e. on Friday and Saturday to express show solidarity with Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

They condemned real estate tycoon Riaz Malik for launching anti-judiciary campaign and pledged to stand with the CJ against all odds. However, litigant public condemned frequent boycotts of courts by lawyers’ fraternity. They said that performance of courts had declined due to the increased frequency of lawyers’ strikes because of which inordinate delay was caused in disposal of cases. They complained that justice had become costly and lengthy process spreading over years and years which only the rich and strong could afford to win.
Meanwhile, former Sessions judge Hussain Maken who is now practicing as an advocate, said that strikes by advocate on the call of bar councils leaders had hardly improved the quality of justice. Rather these strikes had caused negative impact on the process of justice dispensation, he added. He said it was strange that every time calls for strikes were passed on to bars of lower courts while lawyers of superior courts kept on appearing in the courts at Lahore and Islamabad. If the strike is announced it should be observed by all advocates whether they belong to High Court Bar Associations or Supreme Court Bar Association, he demanded. He said Pakistan and its institutions including judiciary and lawyers’ bars were in grip of corruption and in fact leaders at all level were paying only lip-service for upholding the rule of law. There was a need for a complete overhaul of the institutions to restore balance in the society, he stressed.