LAHORE, Nov 24: The Lahore High Court Bar Association on Wednesday rejected the proposed federal commercial court on the plea that it would add to the menace of parallel judiciary and would practically be a hireling of the executive.

LHCBA president Ahmad Awais said at a news conference Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had proposed the court to adjudge taxes and tariff, business and related disputes as part of the World Bank and the IMF agenda to regulate international trade and taxation in favour of the industrially advance countries which wanted to rob the poor nations of their resources in the name of globalization and the WTO regime.

Flanked by LHCBA office-bearers Syed Zulfiqar Bokhari, Azam Nazir Tarar and Sarfraz Ali Khan, he demanded the plan to be withdrawn. He said the proposed court was being set up out of the high courts' discipline and this was a major indication that the scheme was being implemented with mala fide intentions and aimed at relegating the national economy subservient to world's big economies.

The LHCBA president lashed out at the handful of elements among lawyers who tried in vain to sabotage the convention held here on Nov 20 and said their leader, Mr Alamgir, the Punjab president of ruling PML Lawyers Forum, in particular would be proceeded against for misconduct under the rules.

Mr Awais said the ruling party's group leader was also guilty of giving false information to certain media people that the convention had adopted a resolution in favour of Gen Pervez Musharraf retaining his uniform.

He said the fact was contrary to what Mr Alamgir stated. The convention had, with an overwhelming majority, adopted the resolution seeking Gen Musharraf to cast his uniform by December 31.

The LHCBA president said it was in the light of the resolution that a country-wide black day was called on January 10. The participants also decided that the next convention would be held in Karachi. He said the lawyers community had already started a campaign against the military rule and similar conventions at provinces were being organized to build a momentum.

He said any group working against the interest of the lawyers community would not be tolerated and its members had to either behave within the bar discipline or face action for misconduct.

He said lawyers had no political designs nor were they going to benefit from their own movement. They were fighting for the cause of democracy, independence of judiciary, rule of law, federal parliamentary system and an end to military interventions in the future.

Mr Awais said snags in holding the trial of generals and judges under Article 6 of the constitution have been removed and a grand jury for trial would soon be set up.