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LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistani police fired teargas shells to disperse hundreds of protesting lawyers here in continuing unrest over the suspension of the country's top judge, witnesses said on Saturday.
The lawyers gathered in the high court compound in this eastern city but police prevented them from coming out for a march on the street, witnesses said.
Police lobbed teargas shells when the stone-pelting lawyers attempted to break through the high court's gates, police officer Mohammad Azeem said.
More than two dozen lawyers were injured by the police action, lawyers' representative Ahsan Bhoon said.
Later police eased restrictions and the lawyers managed to leave the building and held a sit-down protest on the main road for more than an hour, witnesses said.
The lawyers had called a convention in Lahore to discuss further action after last Friday's suspension of chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry by President Pervez Musharraf, their representative Arif Sheikh said.
Bhoon said lawyers would hold countrywide protests on March 21, when Chaudhry is scheduled to appear again before a judicial council hearing.
Lawyers also passed a resolution demanding that Musharraf resign, Bhoon said.
Hundreds of lawyers also marched in the southern port city of Karachi to express solidarity with the suspended top judge. Similar protests were also held in northwestern city of Peshawar and Nosheraw.
Since last week, lawyers have staged daily demonstrations in various urban centres in Pakistan and opposition political parties have also joined the protest.
- AFP/so
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