LAHORE, April 10: The Lahore High Court Bar Association resolved on Wednesday to initiate criminal proceedings against the Lahore district Nazim and his deputy “for squandering billions of rupees from the poor taxpayers’ money on arranging a public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan here on Tuesday to enable President Gen Pervez Musharraf to launch his referendum campaign.”

Adopting another resolution against the presidential referendum, the LHCBA general body also decided to take action against its members defying its resolutions. The resolution held Barrister Sharifuddin Pirzada and Federal Law Minister Dr Khalid Ranjha guilty of ‘intellectual corruption.’ While the former is not a member of that association, the latter is. Naib Nazim Farooq Amjad Mir is also a member of the LHCBA. Another resolution said leaders of various political parties would be invited to address the LHCBA.

The resolution did not spell out the course of action the Association would adopt to oppose the referendum. It congratulated the people of Lahore ‘for staying away from the president’s public meeting. The referendum it alleged, was not being held to save the country but to perpetuate personal rule. The president’s declaration at the public meeting that he combined the offices of the head of state, the chief executive and the army chief amounted ‘to an open rebellion against the constitution,’ the Association said.

PBC members Hafiz Abdur Rahman Ansari and Kazim Khan, Dr Farooq Hasan, Ehsan Wine, Abid Saqi Bhatti, Mian Jahangir and Bar vice-president Khawar Ikram Bhatti addressed the meeting. The resolution was moved by former Punjab Bar Council vice-chairman Ahsan Bhoon.