March 28, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 8, 1428

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QUETTA, March 27: The lawyers’ wing of the ruling PML on Tuesday asked members of bar associations to stop their agitation and wait for the Supreme Judicial Council’s judgment on the presidential reference against the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Speaking at a press conference at the Quetta Press Club, lawyers belonging to the PML opposed the strike and protest meetings organized by their fellow lawyers, saying the boycott of court proceedings was against the dignity of judiciary. Besides, they said, it had adversely affected thousands of litigants throughout the country.

They said that the president had, under Article 209 of the Constitution, submitted the reference against the chief justice and the lawyers’ community should wait till the SJC announced its verdict.

The lawyers said that the president and the prime minister had publicly pledged to honour the SJC verdict and implement it in letter and spirit.

The lawyers criticised the role of opposition parties which, they said, were politicising a constitutional matter, misleading the people and trying to create a law and order situation in the country. They said constitutional matters could not be decided on streets.

“We have deep respect for Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry but the lawyers’ community should avoid putting pressure on the SJC to act according to wishes of some individuals and let the SJC decide the case on merit.

The press conference was attended by Abdullah Baloch, Syed Iqbal Shah, Taimur Shah Kakar, Abdullah Kurd, Nasiruddin Mengal and others.

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