OKARA: Lawyers of Okara district were on strike on Tuesday for the withdrawal of two cases one against a lawyer of the Okara District Bar Association (DBA), and the other against seven lawyers of the Renala Khurd bar and their 20 unidentified accomplices in election related disputes stemming from the October 31 polling.

The Renala Khurd police registered a case under different Pakistan Penal Code and terror sections against Renala Kurd Tehsil Bar Association (TBA) president Raja Bilal Ahmad on the report of Returning Officer (RO) Sajjad Waseem (deputy manage operation of Wapda). The RO says that at the time of the col-lection of results of union council elections at polling station 4/1RA, TBA president`s uncle Raja Aslam, who was a candidate, with TBA president Raja Bilal manhandled the polling staff and the staff of the office of the RO in Renala Khurd.

The police registered a case against 25 unidentified people and seven lawyers TBA president Raja Bilal, general secretary Chaudhry Azam Jatt, Rai Naseem Ahmad Kharal, Chaudhry Tahir Naeem, Muhammad Usaman, Irfan Rafique and Rao Babar. Of them, police arrested lawyer Babar and presented him before the judge of an anti-terrorism court.

The court sent the lawyer on judicial remand.

Raja Bilal`s uncle Raja Aslam was a candidate for union council 4/1R-A against Bilal Zia, thebrother of PML-N MPA Javed Allauddin. Lawyers alleged the RO acted at the behest of the MPA and his candidate brother to cover up rigging.

On the appeal of the Renala Khurd TBA, the Okara DBA and the TBA Dipalpur also observed strike to express solidarity with them.

Similarly, the Okara DBA which was already on strike against the Okara City B division police for registering a case and trespassing on the house of lawyer Fayyazul Haq Azhar, who was also a candidate for ward No 17 councilor.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, District and Sessions` Court Judge Malik Muhammad Arshad, District Police Officer Muhammad Faisal Rana, DBA President Chaudhry AslamJaved and TBA Renala President Raja Bilal held a meeting at the chamber of the judge to resolve the issue but tall(s ended in smoke.

The DBA called its general house meeting on November 4 to further discuss the matter.

Mr Azhar had filed a writ petition to get registered a case against the DPO, SP Saud Magsi, polling staff and rival candidates for ward No 17 seats.

The court of Additional Sessions Court Judge Azhar Ali Jafri issued notices to the respondents for November 4.

On the issue of the Renala TBA, Punjab Bar Council members, Alchtar Husain Bahtti, held a meeting with the chief justice of the Lahore High Court and briefed the honorable judge about the incident.