30 June 2004	Wednesday	11 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

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LAHORE, June 29: The Lahore High Court Bar Association on Tuesday resolved not to accept Shaukat Aziz as prime minister because of interests in advancing the US economic agenda which was fatal to Pakistan.

The resolution, adopted unanimously by the LHCBA in a general house meeting with LHCBA president Ahmad Awais in the chair, also decried the way elected prime minister Zafarullah Jamali was forced to resign by the Presidency to inflict a severe blow to the sovereignty of elected and representative institutions.

The resolution, moved by the bar's human rights committee chairperson Ghulam Sarwar Nihang, feared the unwarranted and undemocratic change on the political scene had exposed the designs of the military regime which was pursuing political and economic policies which would gradually reduce Pakistan to an American colony.

Referring to a State Department reaction to the change in Pakistan, the resolution said the statement manifested that America was behind the undemocratic change in the highest political office of the country.

The resolution said Shaukat Aziz was the custodian of the Western economic interests which was evident from the policies he has devised since his appointment after the military overthrow of the Nawaz Sharif government in October 1999.

The resolution said the change had further weakened the country's fragile democracy because the establishment continued to undermine all the national institutions and deny political organizations their right to govern.

The resolution reminded the political parties which were supporting the regime that they should learn from the undemocratic ouster of Zafarullah Jamali that they, too, could face the same situation.

It said the change as promoted by the Presidency was a slap in their face. However, it regretted that no ruling coalition partner seemed to agitate against the overthrow of an elected government.

Bar president Ahmad Awais, secretary Azam Nazir Tarar, Senator Saeed Khan Khosa, former PPP secretaries-general Rafiq Ahmad Sheikh and Malik Saeed Hasan, Pakistan Bar Council member Hamid Khan, PML-N MPA Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan and Aater Mahmood Hashmi said the exit of Mr Jamali had hit the very root of the country's federal parliamentary system.

They claimed that power laid in the establishment which was weakening the fragile democracy of Pakistan with an ulterior motive. It was ironic that the military rulers did not allow even the weakest of the persons to govern.

They condemned the political parties which were abetting the crime. The democratic structure had further crumbled owing to the manoeuvrability of the Presidency which, they feared, was out to inflict irreparable loss to Pakistan politically and economically in implementing the US dictates.

They said lawyers would not allow the foul play with democratic institutions to continue and were prepared like in the past to lead a movement for the restoration of a genuine democracy, rule of law, independence of the judiciary and political stability.

RALLY: The Lahore High Court Bar Association on Tuesday organized a rally against the police-sponsored action in Gujrat Bar the other day and demanded the transfer of the district police officer who was "behind the attack on lawyers."

Carrying placards, participants in the rally, led by LHCBA president Ahmad Awais, walked from the bar office to the main gate on The Mall raising slogans against the Punjab government, the chief minister and Gujrat administration and demanded action against the DPO.

The LHCBA also adopted a resolution at a general house urging the Punjab government to honour its commitment which it held out in a meeting with the LHCBA and Gujrat bar on June 15.

Speaking at the meeting bar president Ahmad Awais, Gujrat Bar president Tariq Javed Warraich, Pakistan Bar Council members Hamid Khan and Kazim Khan and a former vice-chairman of the Punjab Bar Council Ramzan Chaudhry said the chief minister had to chose between peace in the district and DPO Raja Munawwar Husain.

They said the government had unnecessarily made the transfer of the DPO an issue at the cost of the entire bar of the district. They said the government had only two weeks ago promised that the dispute would amicably be resolved to avoid further conflict with the bar.

They said the government seemed backing out of its pledge. The lawyers were united and were prepared to go to any extent to resolve the conflict. They said the lawyers were extending a gesture of conciliation but at the same time they were prepared for all eventualities.