KARACHI: Lawyers to convince legislators against LFO: Convention resolves
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 26: Bar representatives will meet legislators individually and collectively to apprise them of “the disastrous consequences of accepting the Legal Framework Order as a part of the Constitution” in accordance with the military regime’s claim, a lawyers’ convention held here under the auspices of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC) resolved on Wednesday.
The convention earlier adopted a declaration saying the LFO was not a valid legal document and in no way a part of the Constitution “as being falsely alleged by interested parties.” No institution or individual can arrogate to itself or himself the parliament’s power to amend the Constitution. Any attempt to incorporate the LFO in the Constitution “without parliamentary ratification will have disastrous effect on the solidarity and integrity of the country and will be a negation of the spirit of federalism,” it warned and urged members of the parliament to “disregard” the LFO.
By another resolution, the convention expressed its “great anguish and concern at the role of foreign agencies in the country.” It said the solidarity and integrity of the country had been put at stake by allowing “the American FBI and other agencies to raid, arrest, interrogate and torture citizens of Pakistan.” It particularly condemned the arrest of Dr Amir Aziz and Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja and members of his family in Lahore and called for immediate expulsion of foreign agencies from the country.
Another resolution appreciated the stand taken by Supreme Court Bar Association President Hamid Khan before the Supreme Court, and warned that any contempt notice against him would be treated as a contempt notice against the entire legal fraternity.
The seminar was earlier addressed by former chief justice of Pakistan Saiduzzaman Siddiqui, SCBA chief Hamid Khan, Pakistan Bar Council members Justice Abdur Rahim Kazi, Rasheed A. Rizvi, Imdad Awan and Abul Inam, Sindh Bar Council vice-chairman Abdus Sattar Kazi and members Abrar Hasan, Siddiq Khoso, Mustafa Lakhani and Yasin Azad, Sindh High Court Bar Association President Munir A. Malik and Secretary Yawar Farooqui, Hyderabad High Court Bar Association President Hakim Ali Siddiqui, Lahore High Court Bar Association Secretary Shahid Mahmood Bhatti and presidents and secretaries of several district bar associations.
Hamid Khan, in his key-note address, said the role that the military and the judiciary had played in Pakistan during the past 50 years had led to repeated constitutional crises, depoliticization of national issues, interference of civil and military intelligence in politics, ascendancy of military over civilian authority and estrangement of the people from political process and governance. He criticized judges of the superior courts for taking oath under the PCO and for successive judgments favouring the military regime.
He described the LFO as an attempt to rewrite the Constitution by a military ruler under dubious authority conferred by the Supreme Court, which itself had no such power. It was aimed at perpetuating military’s role in politics and governance. He deplored that the judges accepted extension of their retirement age under the LFO. The acceptance impliedly upheld the validity of the LFO. He urged the parliament to assert its supremacy and foil efforts to distort the Constitution.
