KARACHI, March 27: Three members of Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) observed a token hunger strike against the suspension of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Tuesday. Those who sat on hunger strike were Abdul Wahab Balouch, Mohammad Atiq Qureshi and Nisar A. Mujahid.
The lawyers in the SHC said that the judiciary was an important pillar of the state and needed to be fully independent, so that it could function properly. They said that the lawyers campaign meant to uphold the supremacy of the constitution ensure independence of judiciary and protect the fundamental rights of the masses.
They said their struggle would continue till the reinstatement of CJP and independence of the judiciary, saying lawyers would follow the decisions taken by Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and other lawyers’ associations in the province.
General Secretary SHCBA Munir-ur-Rehman and member Sindh Bar Council Mohammad Ali Abbasi said lawyers would observe a complete strike on April 3. Three lawyers Mumtaz Ali Khan Deshmuk, Tauqeer Ali Khan and Syed Mohammad Qasim would sit on hunger strike on Wednesday.
Ten members of Karachi Bar Association (KBA) observed a hunger strike in city courts from 10am to 4pm. Those sat on hunger strike were Mohammad Riaz Khan, Shafqat Jahangir Chughtai, Shafi Mohammad, Mohammad Zareen Khan, Rasheed Rajar, Mukhtar Ahmed, Mohammad Ismail Baloch, Naseem Hassan Quzilbash, Atiq Ahmed Siddiqui and Abdul Sattar Abid.
The lawyers in the city courts stayed away from court proceedings from 10.30am to 11.30am and gathered in front of the city courts. President KBA Iftikhar Javaid Qazi, General Secretary Naeem Qureshi, KBA members Naheed Afzaal and Mohammad Jiwani spoke on the occasion.
They bitterly Chief Minister Sindh Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and said that the CM was underestimating the lawyers fraternity. They renewed their pledge to continue the campaign till reinstatement of the CJP, adding that they were ready to render all kinds of sacrifices for upholding the supremacy of the constitution and independence of the judiciary.
The lawyers came out of the city courts in a procession, observed a sit in on MA Jinnah Road and blocked traffic for 45 minutes. The rally raised slogans in support of CJP, independent judiciary and for lawyers’ unity. They also shouted slogans against President Pervez Musharraf, federal ministers for information, law, railways and Chief Minister Sindh.
Meanwhile, different lawyers’ associations in a joint press conference held on Tuesday in the KBA Committee Room said that the lawyers’ fraternity would not attend the gathering of government employees to be held in Hyderabad today (Wednesday). They said this was a gathering of government employees and not a lawyers’ convention.
Those who addressed the press conference were Vice Chairman Sindh Bar Council Khwaja Mansoor, member SBC Fahim Riaz Siddiqui, member SBC Abdullah Chandio, General Secretary Sindh High Court Bar Association Munir-ur-Rehman, KBA President Iftikhar Javaid Qazi, Vice President Qadir Khan and General Secretary Naeem Qureshi.
The challenged the CM to hold his convention in lawyers’ bar in the province instead of the official halls, adding that lawyers were fully united in pressing for their demands. They said that lawyers associated with Pakistan Bar Council, SBC, SCBA, and KBA would arrange a combined programme to welcome Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on April 3 if the next meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) was held in Karachi.
Leaders of the lawyers’ associations condemned the government’s move to dismiss the judges who tendered their resignations in the CJP’s support. They asked for early acceptance of the resignations and added the government’s action of dismissal would not be accepted by lawyers.
