ISLAMABAD, Aug 24 : The members of Pakistan Bar Council have criticized the Legal Framework Order, 2002, through which a new dictatorship, and no effective authority for the prime minister, has been introduced.

Abdul Haleem Pirzada, Chairman Executive Committee of Pakistan Bar Council, and Bar Council members Hafiz Abdul Rahman Ansari, H.Shakeel Ahmed, Farook H. Naik, Rasheed A. Razvi and Abdul Rahim Kazi in a statement on Saturday said: “We are of the considered view that these illegitimate/unconstitutional amendments have been made not for “smooth and orderly transition” of the present regime dominated by army generals”.

“The Legal Framework Order was imposed despite the fact that the entire nation, except a few opportunists, have opposed the same which reflects from the historical “joint declaration” issued at the end of a joint meeting of representatives of bar and political parties organized by the Pakistan Bar Council at Lahore on Aug 17, 2002.

In their statement these members reiterated their stand that neither the supreme court has any jurisdiction to authorize Gen Pervez Musharraf to amend the Constitution nor the general has any lawful authority or moral justification to do so.

The rule laid down in Zafar Ali Shah‘s case by the supreme court has lost its legal efficacy after the announcement of elections schedule on Oct 10, 2002 and that the question of amendment, if any, in the Constitution should have been left to the new parliament, the statement said.

This act of Gen Pervez Musharraf is not only illegal, illegitimate, unauthorized, and mala fide, but also indicate that no real and true democracy could be restored in Pakistan and the liberalized deception/oppression of the uniform people/autocracy will go on in the name of democracy, the Bar Council members maintained.