SAHIWAL: A standoff between lawyers and local judges in the District Bar Council continued for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday.

Neither the District Bar Association (DBA) withdrew its strike call nor did thejudges agree totender a formal apology to the association and a lawyer.

Supporters of both Civil Judge Tahir Aslam and lawyer Faisal Qureshi blamed each other for the standoff. Thousands of litigants were also suffering as no formal or informal court proceedings had been held for six days.

Dawn learnt from sources that lawyers of the District Bar Council were divided over the judge`s suspension or transfer. A letter was dispatched to the chief justice of Pakistan on Tuesday with signatures of hundreds of lawyers to decide about the fate of the civil judge.

On Friday, junior lawyer Faisal Qureshi appeared in the court of Civil Judge Tahir Aslamfor a hearing. The lawyer told the judge`s reader he had appeared for the fourth time and wanted the judge to hear him. The judge allegedly passed some remarks that did not go down well with the lawyerandledtoanexchange of harsh words.

The lawyer called a meeting of the Young Lawyers Forum that condemned the judge`s `insulting` remark and sought an apology from him.

By Monday, neither the judge had apologised nor had the lawyers called off their strike.

The DBA vice president confirmed to Dawn a letter had been written to the chief justice after approval from the bar.

Meanwhile, several nominated suspects and litigants were suffering. A nominated murder suspect Riaz told Dawn he had been visiting the court for hearing for three days but there was no activity due to the lawyers` strike.

DBA President Raja Javed said the strike would continue till the judge was transferred or suspended.