KARACHI, March 13: The Sindh High Court Bar Association members will form a human chain around the court building on Wednesday morning to express their resolve to uphold the independence of the judiciary.
Meanwhile, a complete strike was observed on Tuesday by the lawyers for the second day running. A general body meeting on Tuesday decided to wait for instructions from the Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association before deciding on the future course of action. The meeting was addressed by SHCBA President Abrar Hasan, Secretary Munirur Rehman, former president Abdul Hafeez Lakho and SBC Vice-Chairman Mohammad Amin Lakhani, who advised restraint. The participants later joined the KBA processionists who had come to the high court after holding a demonstration at the press club.
At the Supreme Court registry, meanwhile, a bench comprising Justices Saiyed Saeed Ashhad and Ghulam Rabbani took up cases fixed for the day. Advocates Khalid Anwar and Nafees Sidduqui were among the lawyers representing the litigants. The hearing was adjourned after a brief sitting.
SBC DEMANDS DEFERMENT: The Sindh Bar Council on Tuesday called for deferment of the reference against Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry till the return of Justice Rana Bhagwandas, the senior-most Supreme Court judge.
An SBC meeting attended by 11 members and presided over by the council’s Vice-Chairman, Mohammad Amin Lakhani, took a serious view of the suspension of the chief justice in contravention of the constitutional provisions and the subsequent actions against him. It also condemned the administration and the police for resorting to a baton charge on protesting lawyers in Lahore. It warned that high-handedness would only strengthen the lawyers’ resolve to protest.
BOYCOTT CONTINUES: Our Reporter adds; lawyers continued their boycott in the city courts on Tuesday and stayed away. The city courts wore a deserted look as the lawyers restricted their movement to the Karachi Bar Association offices.
A KBA general body meeting was held in Shuhdai Punjab Hall in the city courts premises. Itwas addressed by former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif on the telephone. Leader of Opposition in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, Naib Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Professor Ghafoor Ahmad, Awami National Party (ANP) Sindh President Shahi Syed, Member Sindh Bar Council Khwaja Manzoor, KBA President Iftikhar Javed Qazi,vice president Qadir Khan, general secretary Naeem Qureshi, Joint Secretary Amir Niaz Khan, and others.
The lawyers condemned the police action against their colleagues in Lahore and described it as a barbaric act on the part of the government. They said that the protest movement would continue till reinstatement of the CJP.
Mr Sharif came down hard on President Pervez Musharraf and said Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was ousted unconstitutionally and illegally. “The CJP’s ouster at gun point, his house arrest, deprivation of all facilities including television, telephone and restriction on meeting of his relatives and well wishers is beyond imagination in a civilised society.” He said his elected government was also toppled at gun point and the removal of CJP opened another black chapter in our country’s history.
Mr Sharif said Justice Bagwandas was the senior most judge, but he was ignored which further showed that the president’s action was based on malafide intentions
Leader of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) and Leader of Opposition in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani in his speech condemned the President’s action against CJP and termed it totally illegal and unconstitutional. He said that if the government wanted to hold accountability it should be across the board without any discrimination. He said that the proceedings of CJP’s case should be open to all and stressed provision of all facilities including meetings of his well wishers with him. He also condemned police action against lawyers at Lahore and termed it an example of worst kind of dictatorship.
The JI’s Professor Ghafoor Ahmad said Musharraf himself was an unconstitutional president and had no right to remove the CJP in a manner that tarnished the country’s image. He said “it is time for Musharraf to tender his resignation otherwise the nation will throw him out by launching a country-wide agitation”.
The ANP leader, Shahi Syed, said “army generals should have nothing to do with ruling the country, their duty is to defend the borders only.” He said if the people remained silent any longer they would face bigger problems in future also. He said that his party would support lawyers’ movement against the government.
The lawyers vowed that they would never bow before the rulers. They said that agitation had started across the country would only end with the removal of General Musharraf. They said that this was not a struggle for or against a particular person, but a movement for the supremacy and prestige of an institution.
They speakers demanded early arrival of Justice Bhagwandas in the country and vowed that they would continue their campaign till the government withdrew its undemocratic decisions and accepted their demands
The lawyers then left the court premises in a procession and blocked M.A. Jinnah Road for a while. They walked on Shahrah-e-Liaquat and set fire to portraits of Musharraf and George W. Bush at Fresco Chowk. The procession was joined by a group of Peoples Studnets Federation (PSF) near Al-Hadith mosque and they jointly marched through Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah Road to Karachi Press Club. Traffic on all these above mentioned roads including Shahrah-e-Iraq, Sarwar Shaheed Road, Arambagh remained blocked during the procession which took about an hour to reach press club.
The lawyers rally in front of Karachi Press Club was addressed by member SBC Noor Naz Agha, Naeem Qureshi, Nahid Afzaal. On their return the lawyers gathered at Sindh High Court. Secretary SHC Bar Association Munirur Rehman announced boycott of courts today (Wednesday). They said that next line of action would be decided today (Wednesday) at a meeting in the KBA office.
Fakhruddin denies: Former Attorney General and judge of the Supreme Court, Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim on Tuesday termed reports that he would be representing the government in the reference filed against the Chief Justice of Pakistan as false and part of a disinformation campaign.
“I am greatly disturbed to read news reports that I will be representing the government in the reference filed against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry,” he said in a statement issued to the media on Tuesday.
He said such news reports were not only false but ‘appear to be part of a disinformation campaign against which I hereby strongly protest.’
“This is the time to fight the government’s efforts to browbeat the judiciary and destroy its independence. The efforts of the Bar deserve our unconditional support,” said Mr Ebrahim.
KARACHI, March 13: The Sindh High Court Bar Association members will form a human chain around the court building on Wednesday morning to express their resolve to uphold the independence of the judiciary.
