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| March 13, 2007 | Tuesday | Safar 23, 1428 |
No court work as lawyers protest CJ’s suspension
RAWALPINDI, March 12: Lawyers Monday observed ‘black day’ and boycotted courts in the northern districts of Punjab in protest at President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
They staged protest marches in Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Gujar Khan, Jehlum, the native district of the suspended CJ. The district bar associations held meetings and described the move by President Musharraf unconstitutional. The joint call for the strike was given by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Cour Bar Association.
The court work came to almost standstill in all major cities as no lawyer appeared in the courts.
In the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC), though two judges — Justice Muzzamil and Justice Syed Sajjad Hussain Shah — were present in their courts, no lawyer appeared in their courts. The LHC judges dismissed several cases, which were fixed for hearing on Monday.
The Lahore High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi, in a meeting condemned President Musharraf for “summoning the CJP to the Army House and pressing him to resign”.
“Relieving the chief justice of his responsibilities or rendering him non-functional is totally illegal and unconstitutional and condemnable in the strongest possible words”, said a resolution unanimously adopted by them.
Calling for his reinstatement, the lawyers demanded that the Supreme Judicial Council should provide an opportunity to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary to clarify his position and to meet his lawyers.
The meeting, presided over by the association’s president, Sardar Asmatullah Khan, banned the entry of Naeem Bukhari, who wrote a letter against the CJP, into the bar premises.
Former president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi, Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan said the action against the chief justice had jolted the judicial system of the country.
“The presidential reference against Justice Chaudhry is the outcome of the bold and impartial decisions taken by him against the government,” Mr Khan noted.
He claimed that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) had persuaded President Musharraf to file a reference against the top judge.
ATTOCK: A large number of lawyers gathered at the District Bar Association (DBA) building in Attock and hoisted a black flag there as a mark of their protest, writes our correspondent from Attock.
Later, they took out a protest rally in which the participants carrying banners and placards chanted slogans against President Pervez Musharraf and his allies.
After passing through Katchery Chowk and Main Bazaar, the lawyers staged a protest demonstration at Fawara chowk.
TAXILA: The lawyers in Taxila and Wah Cantonment also boycotted the courts, writes our correspondent from Taxila. The lawyers wore black armbands and remained in their chambers.
A huge contingent of police was deployed around the Tehsil court complex to stop the lawyers from taking out any protest rally.
CHAKWAL: A complete strike was also observed by lawyers in Chakwal to show solidarity with the Chief Justice.
As no court work took place, the litigants coming from all over the district faced great hardships, our correspondent from Chakwal reported.
A black flag was hoisted at the district bar office where an emergency meeting was also held that was presided over by its president, Haroon Irshad Janjua.
Speakers on the occasion condemned the police who baton charged the lawyers in Lahore.
The lawyers in Jehlum, the native district of the suspended CJ, protested at the president’s action and held demos. Lawyers in Gujar Khan, Kahuta, Pind Dadan Khan and Sohawa also announced to observe a black day on Tuesday to resent the move by President Musharraf, our correspondent from Gujar Khan said.
—Dawn Report
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