KARACHI, April 12: The lawyers’ protest campaign continues and they will boycott the courts today. Seven lawyers observed a token hunger strike in the Sindh High Court bar room on Thursday against the suspension of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. They were Rukhsana Razi, Saalim Salim Ansari, M. Junaid Farooqui, Masood Ausaf, Rauf Ahmed Butt and Chaudhry Naveedul Haq.
The Sindh Bar Council Human Rights Committee Chairman, M. Aqil Lodhi, called for a convention of lawyers representatives in Karachi on April 22
A Reporter adds: Ten members of Karachi Bar Association (KBA) on Thursday observed a token hunger strike in the city courts. They were Manzoor Ahmed, Mehmood Baloch, Javaid Iqbal Barqi, Mohammad Afzal Memon, Raja Shakil Ahmed, Ejaz Baloch, Mohamad Hanif, Syed Amanullah Agha, Aftab Ahmed G. Nabi and Talat A. Aslam. The lawyers also stayed away from court proceedings from 10.30am to 11.30am and gathered in front of the city courts. KBA President Iftikhar Javaid Qazi, senior lawyers Salahuddin Gandapur, Nasrullah, and Arshad Jadoon spoke on the occasion.
The speakers condemned the CJP’s suspension and said the rulers were not ready to see an independent judiciary in the country, saying that in the presence of an independent judiciary, the rulers would be unable to continue to loot and plunder and do things according to their whims. They said only an independent judiciary could ensure provision of basic rights to the masses.
They criticised the military rulers for violating the constitution and said the generals were supposed to protect the country’s borders and not indulge in politics. They said President Musharraf was violating the constitution by indulging in politics.
“Our struggle is not against or in favour of an individual, but the independence of the judiciary which can be ensured only by the CJP’s reinstatement,” they said. The speakers appreciated the KBA saying it played an important role in projecting the issue at all levels which, they said, would help strengthen the institutions.
A circular signed by the KBA President was also circulated stating “as per decision of Pakistan Bar Association and Supreme Bar Association there will be complete full day boycott of all courts today (Friday) and no lawyer will appear in the courts”.
The KBA President asked all members to be present in court dress at the bar room by 9am, saying that a procession would be taken out at 10am. The lawyers would form a human chain at Quaid-e-Azam’s mazar. He said this would be a historical event. The lawyers raised slogans against President Musharraf, and the CJP’s suspension.
Four members of Malir Bar Association observed a token hunger strike. They were Mohammad Sharif Awan, Mir Hussain Abbasi, Syed Farooq Sherazi and Khalid Hussain Rajper. The MBA members also boycotted court proceedings from 10.30am to 11.30am.
