KARACHI, March 19: The protesting lawyers upped the ante in their campaign on Monday and demanded the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf simultaneously with the unconditional withdrawal of the reference pending against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Addressing a general body meeting of the Sindh High Court Bar Association during the token protest by its members, the Supreme Court Bar Association President, Muneer A. Malik, said the legal fraternity would continue its protest till their five ‘non-negotiable’ demands were met. The other demands are release of all lawyers held during the current protest campaign and the withdrawal of cases registered against them; action against individuals behind the filing of the reference; the state should accept responsibility for ‘missing’ people and those who picked them up and held them in illegal custody should be proceeded against; a caretaker national government be installed to conduct free, fair and impartial elections.
The demands were endorsed by Pakistan Bar Council Vice-Chairman Ali Ahmed Kurd, PBC members Rasheed A. Razvi and Yasin Khan Azad and Sindh High Court Bar Association President Abrar Hasan. The SHCBA chief said the association had invited the CJ to be the chief guest at the dinner to be hosted by it on March 23 as part of the concluding ceremonies of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Supreme Court. He asked the SCBA President, who also represents the CJ in the Supreme Judicial Council proceedings, to ensure that Justice Iftikhar attends the dinner. He also urged the administration to make the necessary arrangements.
(According to an SHCBA press release, Mr Malik assured Mr Hasan that Justice Iftikhar would attend the function on March 23 ‘or on any convenient date thereafter’).
The Bar leaders urged all democratic forces to play their role in the drive for supremacy of the Constitution but not by visiting bar rooms and assuring lawyers of their support or by joining or addressing lawyers’ rallies. The political parties and their leaders should instead mobilize people by organizing and addressing public meetings at public places, they said.
As the SHCBA members commenced their hour-long boycott of court proceedings at 10.30am., Advocates Ghulam Qadir Jatoi, Shahab Sarki, Syed Tauqeer Husain and Qazi Abdul Hameed Siddiqui proceeded with their token hunger strike till 2pm. Hundreds of lawyers, meanwhile, reached the SHC premises from the city courts in a procession and gathered in the compound. Speeches were made and slogans raised against the president and the government, and in favour of Justice Iftikhar. The processionists entered the SHC building after the meeting and shut the doors of the courtrooms on the first floor. Senior lawyers did not approve of their conduct. Few cases proceeded in the court on Monday.
A Reporter adds: Legal proceedings remained suspended in city courts on Monday due to the strike call given by Karachi Bar Association (KBA). The judges remained in their chambers, and the lawyers stayed away from courts proceedings.
Ten KBA members observed a token hunger strike. Those who sat on hunger strike were Aaqil Lodhi, Tahir-ur-Rehman, Iftikhar Ali Khan, Arshad Rauf, Manzoor Meo, Mohammad Farooq, Pervez, Mohammad Haroon Khan, Nasir Khan and Mohammad Ali Baloch.
The KBA Managing Committee has decided that lawyers would boycott court proceeding for one hour from 10.30am to 11.30am today (Tuesday) and the token hunger strike would be from 10am to 4pm. However, a complete strike would be observed on Wednesday and no lawyer would attend court.
The lawyers took out a procession from the city courts and blocked the M.A. Jinnah Road for a short while. They then went to Sindh High Court. They postponed demonstrations in front of Karachi Press Club and Chief Minister House due to rain.
Earlier in the morning, a KBA general body meeting was addressed by Vice President Pakistan Bar Council Ali Ahmed Kurd, member Sindh Bar Council Salahuddin Gandapur, President KBA Iftikhar Javed Qazi, General Secretary Naeem Qureshi, and KBA member Nadeem Qureshi.
The speakers said the rulers were treating the constitution like a piece of paper, adding that lawyers would let no one tamper with the constitution. “Lawyers have started struggle for upholding dignity of judiciary, strengthening of democratic institutions and protection of basic human rights and will continue till the acceptance of demands” they said.
A member of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee resigned on Monday. Saadat Yar Khan, who was appointed CPLC member for a three-year term this year, sent his resignation letter to the home secretary. Sources close to Saadat Yar Khan, a lawyer by profession, said that he had strong reservations about the manner in which the government had mishandled the decorum of the CJ’s office.
KARACHI, March 19: The protesting lawyers upped the ante in their campaign on Monday and demanded the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf simultaneously with the unconditional withdrawal of the reference pending against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
