Pakistan lawyer wins court ruling

By Syed Shoaib Hasan
BBC News, Karachi

Mr Malik says he is being victimised

A court in the Pakistani province of Sindh has ruled a top anti-government lawyer can reopen offices in Karachi sealed by officials on Wednesday.

Munir A Malik is the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and one of the lawyers representing suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Mr Malik is also one of the leaders of the anti-government rallies held by lawyers over the judge's removal.

Mr Chaudhry was accused of abuse of power, an accusation he denies.

Karachi address

In an early morning move on Wednesday, the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) sealed Mr Malik's offices in the southern port city.

Mr Malik's offices are in a residential area of Karachi

The KBCA said that the offices were closed because they were in a residential area and that it had issued notices to Mr Malik a year earlier.

"They never issued me any notices... they are lying," Mr Malik told the BBC website.

"I have the bills from them for the fees I paid them a year back."

Mr Malik pointed out that a lawyer, like a doctor, was allowed to practise from a residence.

He said that the government had launched a co-ordinated and calculated campaign of "character assassination" against him.

He said that his family had been threatened and that he had had to hire armed guards for protection.

Other senior lawyers say that they have also been targeted since the campaign against the chief justice's suspension started.

The alleged threats come ahead of a 12 May address by Mr Chaudhry in Karachi.

Thousands of lawyers are expected to turn up for his visit.