LAHORE (National Times) The Punjab Bar Council has announced a province-wide strike tomorrow (Saturday) against illegal detentions of lawyers and political workers.

The Council has demanded that all lawyers in the province refrain from appearing in courts tomorrow. They are calling for an end to the arrests of political party representatives and lawyers, and the immediate withdrawal of the notification regarding the division of civil courts in Lahore.

The Punjab Bar Council also demanded that the government immediately reverse the increase in court fees. They claimed that the Punjab Police turned the province into a police state, openly violating court orders.

They further stated that the government failed to control inflation and the law and order situation. The government is accused of burdening the public with frequent tax impositions and increased electricity bills, thereby exploiting the people.