26 October 2004	Tuesday	11 Ramazan 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) will write letters to Commonwealth member states, informing them about the alleged violation of democratic norms being committed by the rulers.

This was stated by the outgoing SCBA vice-president, Mohammad Ikram Chaudhry, while commenting on the statement of Commonwealth Secretary-General Donald Mckinnon about the role of the parliament on the uniform bill.

A meeting of the SCBA's executive body has been convened on October 30 to pass a resolution against the uniform bill and the statement of Mr Mckinnon, he said.

Mr Chaudhry told reporters here at the office of the SCBA that the passage of the bill by the National Assembly was infact a mockery of democracy in Pakistan and should be condemned by all Commonwealth member states.

He was of the view that the recent statement of the Commonwealth secretary-general amounted to supporting the bill which allowed Gen Pervez Musharraf to retain both offices of the army chief and president.

"The association condemns the statement of Mr Mckinnon and considers it interference in the internal state affairs of the country," he said.

Ikram Chaudhry said the present parliament was nothing more than a rubber stamp as decisions were imposed on the treasury members who were not independent to exercise their will or act upon the voice of their conscience.

The uniform bill passed by the National Assembly is rejected by the SCBA, he said, adding that "we remind the parliamentarians of their mandatory role and urge them to uphold the democratic norms by rejecting all sorts of pressure on them, he said.