LAHORE, April 8: The lawyers action committee on Tuesday announced that it would resort to “direct action” against those judges of superior courts who availed a three-year increase in their retirement age under the LFO.

At a press conference convened by the committee — which draws members from the Supreme Court Bar Association, Pakistan Bar Council, Lahore High Court Bar Association and the Punjab Bar Council, SCBA president Hamid Khan claimed that a letter would soon be circulated amongst all the bar councils and associations of the country to motivate them for direct action against the three-year extension of judges’ service.

To a query, he said the nature of “direct action” was yet to be determined by the action committee, and a consensus would be evolved among lawyers in this regard. “The timing, venue and mode of this direct action would soon be notified to lawyers throughout the country,” he claimed.

Mr Khan lamented that the “retiring” judges of superior courts continued to hold their offices under the illegal three-year extension of their service despite being requested to vacate the offices. He claimed that all future appointments of judges made by the sitting chief justice of Pakistan would be illegal since he had himself ceased to hold his office on reaching the age of superannuation on March 8.

He dispelled the impression that there was any rift in the LHCBA and PBC regarding the boycott of superior court judges availing the three-year extension of their service. Minor differences have been sorted out, and now all the lawyers bodies have a similar stance on the issue, Mr Khan claimed.

He announced that members of the action committee would meet the parliamentary leaders of all political parties at the LHC on April 18 and take up the issue of the LFO and the extension of judges’ service therein.

An all-Pakistan lawyers convention would also be hosted by the LHCBA on April 19 to focus on both these issues, the SCBA president disclosed.

Lastly, the joint action committee expressed resentment on the resolution adopted by the Senate regarding the war in Iraq and described it as soft-worded and devoid of the sentiments of Pakistani citizens.