July 11, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 10, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, July 10: The Supreme Court on Thursday said a delegation of lawyers met Chief Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad and “condemned the ongoing illegal campaign” of some of the lawyer leaders.

But the delegation members later clarified that they did not condemn the lawyers’ leaders, nor did they believe that their movement was illegal.

A press release issued by the Supreme Court Registrar M.A. Farooqi said that a delegation of the Supreme Court lawyers met Chief Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad on Thursday, and “condemned the ongoing illegal campaign of some of the lawyer leaders resulting in the closure of bar association offices at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.”

The delegation comprised Gul Zarin Kiyani, Ahmad Raza Khan Kasuri, Rai Ahmad Nawaz Khan Kharal, Sardar Mohammad Ghazi, Zulfiqar Ahmad Bhutta, Sardar Liaqat Ali, Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed, and Sheikh Mahmood Ahmad.

The registrar said the delegation requested the CJ to consider reopening of the bar offices at Islamabad as members of the bar were facing difficulties. They assured that the bar offices would not be allowed to be misused by any of the bar members. In case they failed to check the misuse, the SC administration could close the offices again.

The registrar said the CJ assured that their request will be considered sympathetically, and a decision in this regard will be taken in a few days.

Ahmad Raza Khan Kasuri told Dawn on telephone that he had learnt that the SC office had issued a press statement in which they were attributed to have “condemned the illegal campaign by some lawyer leaders.”

He said the delegation of purely professional lawyers met the CJ with a view to playing the role of a facilitator for reconciliation between the bar and the bench.

Mr Kasuri said he was speaking on behalf of all the lawyers who met the CJ. The whole idea of meeting him was to again harmonize the bar and the bench, and that they did not condemn anybody or termed the lawyer campaign illegal.

He said the lawyers have utmost respect for the judiciary. They wanted that the two wheels of chariot of justice move harmoniously or the chariot would tumble down.

He said the delegation asked the chief justice to order reopening of the bar library.