KARACHI, Aug 9: The joint action committee of lawyers' representatives has urged the legal fraternity across the country to observe August 13 as a day of protest against military operation in Balochistan.

The joint action committee, which met at the Sindh Bar Council office under the chairmanship Advocate Rasheed A. Razvi on Saturday, adopted a number of resolutions on matters of concern to the legal profession. The resolutions were released on Monday.

The resolution on Balochistan noted with concern the reported military operation in the province on the pretext of law and order situation and registration of cases against nationalist leaders ignoring their plea for negotiations. It warned the government that extra-constitutional methods would only complicate the situation.

Demanding withdrawal of cases registered against leaders in Balochistan and release of all political workers and students, the committee stressed on immediate negotiations to resolve the issues and asked lawyers to hoist black flags on their respective offices, wear black armbands and hold protest meetings in bar rooms on August 13.

The meeting was attended by Pakistan Bar Council executive committee chairman Qazi Muhammad Jamil; Supreme Court Bar Asssociation president Tariq Mahmood and vice-president Ikram Chaudhry; PBC members Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari and Abdul Haleem Pirzada; Sindh Bar Council vice-chairman Yasin Khan Babar, Balochistan Bar Council vice-chairman Zahoor Ahmad Shahwani; Lahore High Court Bar Association president Ahmad Awais; Multan High Court Bar Association president Maulvi Sultan Alam Ansari; Asadullah Khan of Northern High Court Bar Association; Imdad A. Awan and Illahi Bukhsh Kehar of Sukkur and Larkana High Court Bar Associations; Karachi Bar Association president Mahmoodul Hasan, SBC members M. Yasin Azad and Mustafa Lakhani; and former SHCBA president Muneer A. Malik.

The meeting condemned 'in the strongest terms' the government attempts to suppress lawyers' campaign for a democratic civil society. It was stated that the reported move to amend the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act empowering the superior judiciary to 'disbar' the members of legal fraternity was aimed at victimizing anti-government lawyers.

The disciplinary powers at present rested with the bar councils but were sought to be transferred to the superior courts. "The move is fraught with grave consequences, particularly for relationship between the Bar and the Bench", the joint action committee warned. It would be resisted tooth and nail, it resolved.

The JAC also 'noted with dismay' the proposed amendments to the Defamation Ordinance to restrict the freedom of expression. It particularly criticized the increase in the amount of damages and widening of the definition of 'defamation' to include statements that expose a person to 'unjust criticism'. It urged the government to bring the defamation law in conformity with Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees the freeedom of expression.

Another resolution criticised the elevation of the Lahore High Court judges to the Supreme Court in violation of the rule of seniority. "Justices Javed Buttar and Tassadaq Husain Jilani should have been allowed to head the LHC on their turn and the incumbent chief justice should have been elevated," the committee resolved.

Yet another resolution expressed concern over the general law and order situation in the country and condemned the attack on Advocate Habibul Wahabul Khairi.

SBC DELEGATION: A delegation comprising SBC vice- chairman Yasin Khan Babar, executive committee chairman Abrar Hasan, members Imdad Ali Awan, Mustafa Lakhani and M. Ismail Memon and KBA chief Mahmoodul Hasan called on the Attorney- General and Advocates-General of all the four provinces to express the lawyers' apprehensions about the amendments being made to the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils' Act.