February 18, 2003	Tuesday	Zul Hijjah 16, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 17: Lawyers organizations will observe Black Day on March 8 to protest against introduction of amendments to the Constitution through Legal Framework Order and demand that the judges of the superior courts should return the “dubious gift” of extension in their retirement age.

Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad would attain the age of superannuation on the day and the bar would ask him not to accept the three-year extension.

Pakistan Bar Council Vice-Chairman Mian Abbas Ahmad said at a press conference on Monday that the action committee constituted by national conference of lawyers’ representatives on Feb 1 had decided to observe the Black Day.

He said black flags would be hoisted over buildings of all the bar associations and the lawyers would wear black badges and hold protest meetings.

The lawyers would observe a token strike from 11am to noon.

The PBC vice-chairman said a letter would be written to the chief justice, asking him to avert the constitutional crisis.

He said the bar council would circulate the list of judges of the superior courts with dates of their retirement under the 1973 Constitution.

The judges who continued working after attaining the constitutional age of retirement would not be invited to bar functions, he said.

The bar leaders would begin meeting parliament members on Feb 28 to urge them to play their effective role to undo the LFO, he said.

It was announced that national lawyers’ conventions would be held at Peshawar on March 22, Lahore on April 19, Karachi on May 17, Islamabad on June 7 and at Quetta on June 28.

The meeting of action committee was presided over by Mian Abbas and attended by PBC Executive Committee Chairman Mohammad Kazim Khan, Supreme Court Bar Association President Hamid Khan, PBC member Qazi Mohammad Anwar, Punjab Bar Council Vice-Chairman Arif Chaudhry, Sindh Bar Council Vice-Chairman Mohammad Yaseen Azad, Sindh High Court Bar Association President Muneer A. Malik and others.