Lawyers struck work throughout Pakistan on Wednesday, protesting against the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikar Muhammad Chaudhry, who has demanded the reconstitution of the council to go into charges against him.

Lawyers wearing black bands boycotted courts for the third day in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Quetta as well as Islamabad and were joined by opposition politicians.

"We will end the strike and protest the moment Musharraf withdraws the decision and admits he made a mistake. The sooner he realises it, the better it would be for him," Pakistan Bar Council President Qazi Anwar said.

As the manhandling of the suspended Chief Justice by the police drew widespread condemnation, Acting Chief Justice Javed Iqbal said the court has taken suo motu notice of the incident and would initiate action against those involved. Justice Iqbal said he considered Justice Iftikar Muhammad Chaudhry as one among us and was pained to learn that police personnel roughed the non-functional chief justice and his family.

The court has taken serious notice of the incident and would initiate action against those involved after inquiry, he said.

Justice Iqbal told lawyers on Tuesday that he still considered Justice Chaudhry as the chief justice and promised justice and transparent proceedings of the trial, which would resume on March 17. He also appealed to the media not to project the court and the supreme judicial council in bad light.

Appearing before the five-member council headed by Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Chaudhry made a statement in which he has raised questions about the neutrality of its members, challenged their locus standi and also referred to charges against some of them. "I do not want to seek any relief from the council in that an unconstitutional order of March 9, 2007 passed by the council has persuaded me to show distrust on the formation of the council because of the manner in which I have been dealt with.

"I do not expect a fair inquiry particularly for the following reasons with reference to the chairman and two other members," he said, and listed his complaints against them.

He said the council's order restraining him from working as Supreme Court judge and chief justice of Pakistan was detrimental to his interest and against the interest of the institution.