KARACHI: Two organisations of lawyers in the country on Thursday split over the question of observing a strike in protest against the kidnapping of the son of the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court.

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) announced that lawyers would boycott court proceedings across the country on Friday in protest against the kidnapping of Barrister Awais Ali Shah.

Expressing grave concern over the failure of law enfor­cement agencies to safely recover Barrister Shah des­pi­te a lapse of three days, Bar­rister Dr Farogh Naseem, the vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, appealed to lawyers to obse­r­ve a countrywide strike on Friday, the PBC said in a statement.

It said that lawyers would not appear in any case in any court and would also hold protest meetings in bar rooms.

However, Supreme Court Bar Association President Ali Zafar while talking to reporters in Islamabad brushed aside a suggestion for the strike call.