February 13, 2007	Tuesday	Muharram 24, 1428

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LAHORE, Feb 12: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) said on Monday that it had submitted a written demand to the Interior Ministry for allowing exiled former premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to come to Pakistan for their participation in a lawyers convention.

SCBA Secretary Syed Zulfiqar Bokhari said at a press conference that the lawyer community had been agitating against army rule since long besides efforts to restore constitution of Pakistan in true spirit.

He said the SCBA had decided to hold all Pakistan lawyers convention on Feb 17.

The agenda of the convention will be the restoration of 1973 Constitution, and what the secretary said, condemnation of unconstitutional election of Gen Musharraf as president.

He said the two exiled leaders had been invited to address the convention.

JUSTICE QAYYUM: The secretary also took up the issue of Rs100 million he alleged had been misappropriated by former SCBA president Justice Malik Qayyum (retired).

Mr Bokhari said the former president had been directed by the executive committee of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) to transfer the money to the bar accounts.

He alleged that Mr Qayyum had transferred the money to a self-created lawyers’ welfare trust. The PBC had given a Feb 20 deadline to him.

The executive committee has begun proceedings against the former president on the complaints of some SCBA members, he said.

LHCBA: The People’s Lawyers Forum announced on Monday that PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto had approved the candidature of Ahsan Bhoon for the office of president in the coming elections of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

PPP Senator Latif Khosa made the announcement at a press conference, asking the forum members to take an active part in the electioneering.

He said the chairperson took the decision to acknowledge Mr Bhoon’s efforts for the restoration of constitution and supremacy of law.

Mr Bhoon thanked the chairperson, promising that he would never disappoint the party leadership.