KARACHl: A lawyers` protest on Korangi Road near Kala Pull against alleged `beating` of their colleague by Mehmoodabad police and non-registration of its FIR created painful gridlocks and prolonged snarl-ups on key city arteries, including Sharea Faisal, on Wednesday evening.

A large number of commuters got stuck in the traffic jams lasting for several hours. The serious situation prompted the chief minister and the home minister to take its notice.

In a statement traffic police said that the lawyers staged a protest near Kala Pull at around 3:15pm against non-registration of an FIR of torture on their colleague by the police.

Resultantly both tracks of Korangi Road were closed and traffic was diverted to alternative routes.

By 9:42pm, the lawyers shifted the protest to Sharea Faisal and blocked the road near the FTC, said DIG Traffic Ahmed Nawaz Cheema. South-SSP Sajid Amir Sadozai said the lawyers were protesting against the police of district east.

Dawn approached the East-SSP and DIG East to get their versions, but they did not respond.

The closure of roads triggered agonisingly prolonged gridlocks in several areas where citizens were stuck in traffic jams for hours.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took its notice and sought a report from the Addl IGP Karachi, according to a CM House statement.

`No one would be allowed to take law into their own hands in name of protest,` it added.

Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar also took its notice and contacted the East-SSP, said his spokesperson Sohail Ahmed Jokhio.

The minister directed the East SSP to immediately reach to the lawyers, take them into confidence so that they end their protest peacefully. `The protest should be ended through negotiations,` he added.

Later at night, the lawyers ended their protest on the request of the home minister.

Karachi Bar Association general secretary Ikhtiar Ali Channa and President Amir Nawaz Waraich in a statement announced boycott of courts on Thursday over torture of lawyers.

They also announced that they would not allow police officers to enter City Courts.