ISLAMABAD, July 15: Lawyers on Monday partially boycotted courts across the country to protest against the government’s proposed constitutional amendments.
The strike call was given by the Lawyers Representatives Conference, consisting of all elected bar leaders, to launch a campaign against the proposed constitutional amendments.
The courts opened on Monday but took up few cases that too were of emergency nature. Legal fraternity will continue its protest for the revival of civilian rule and would resist any kind of amendment to the 1973 Constitution,” Chaudhry Muhammad Ikram, President of Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, said. He said the military government had no power to amend the Constitution.
The Supreme Court continued hearing of cases and a bench headed by Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad, heard a case on wasteful expenditure on marriage ceremonies. The court adjourned the case after half-an-hour.
The lawyers, in their meetings at the premises of their respective bars, demanded immediate withdrawal of the amendment package and appointment of an independent election commission to hold free, fair and transparent elections.
LAHORE: Lawyers observed strike here on Monday to protest against the constitutional amendments proposed to be made by the military regime.
Few cases proceeded in the Lahore High Court after hearing of urgent petitions and matters fixed for Monday were generally adjourned, for which the LHC Bar Association thanked the judges.
A joint meeting of the bar representatives was held in the Kiyani Hall after the tea break at 10.30am. The representatives later took out a procession from the LHC building to the Regal Chowk.
Addressing the meeting, Supreme Court Bar Association President Hamid Khan and Lahore High Court Bar Association President Chaudhry Muzammil Khan said if the regime really wanted popular sanction for its constitutional packages, it should hold free and fair elections and let the elected representatives of the people make amendments as prescribed by the Constitution.
They said the regime was out to rewrite the constitution in the garb of amendments. The whole exercise was aimed at institutionalizing and perpetuating military dominance over civil society.
LHCBA Secretary Shahid Mahmood Bhatti deplored that the rulers were experimenting with the Constitution at a time when the three organs of the State — legislature, executive and judiciary — were either non-existent or under pressure.
Pakistan Bar Council members Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari and Kazim Khan, Punjab Bar Council Vice-Chairman Ramzan Chaudhry, PBC members Hakam Qureshi and Masood Chishti, SCBA Secretary Anwar Hameed Sahibzada, LHCBA Finance Secretary Tanvir Mahmood and Lahore (district) Bar Association President Chaudhry Nisar Ali Kausar and Secretary Sajid Bashir were also among the protesters who later took out a procession.
QUETTA: Courts proceedings remained suspended in all courts, including Balochistan High Court and Special Courts for Suppression of Terrorism in Quetta and other parts of the province due to lawyers’ boycott of courts on Monday.
Judges were present in the courts but they heard no case as lawyers did not attend any court to protest against the proposed constitutional amendment package announced by the military government.
