KARACHI, May11: The lawyer fraternity continued its full-day boycott of court proceedings in the City Courts and Malir District Court on Friday and most lawyers were seen busy preparing and making arrangements for a rousing welcome to be accorded to Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on his arrival here on Saturday morning.
At the Sindh High Court, lawyers observed a one-hour boycott of court proceedings and the Sindh High Court Bar Association held a general body meeting with its President Abrar Hasan in the chair.
The bar’s General Secretary Munir-ur-Rehman, members of the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Sindh Bar Council, General Secretary of the Sukkur Bar Association and office-bearers of various other bar associations in Sindh and Punjab addressed the participants.
They slammed the Sindh government for intimidating lawyers and pressuring them to cancel the welcome reception, and declared that the planned massive rally for a historic welcome would be held as scheduled at all costs. The meeting observed that lawyers coming from the interior Sindh were not being allowed to enter Karachi and they were being harassed and their vehicles searched.The meeting condemned the incidents of violence against lawyers, especially firing at the residence of the CJ’s counsel, Munir A. Malik and sealing off of the latter’s office, attempted kidnapping of Akhtar Hussein advocate and throwing of petrol bombs on lawyers’ procession in Sahiwal and Gujranwala.
They warned the ruling parties, particularly the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, to stop its anti-lawyers and anti-judiciary movement which, they said, was not in the interest of the party and the country. The SHCBA leaders stressed the need for tolerance on the part of both lawyers and their rivals in the ongoing campaign. They said the nation was fully supporting the campaign for the independence of judiciary.
Another general body meting was held at the Shuhada-i-Punjab Hall of City Courts. KBA President Iftikhar Javaid Qazi, General Secretary Naeem Qureshi, Nafeez Usmani, Hanif Kashmiri, Sardar Mohammad Zamir Khan, Mohammad Ali Abbasi, Mushtaq Jehangiri, Naheed Afzal, Arif Kashmiri, Ahsan Altaf , Habib-ur-Rehman, K.K. Javaid and Hafeez Baloch were among those who spoke at the meeting.
They claimed that the MQM was opposing lawyers only to appease Gen Pervez Musharraf, but they reminded the party leadership that it was supposed to facilitate maintenance of law and order and not to disturb the situation as it was part of the ruling coalition.
Meanwhile, six SHCBA members observed a token hunger strike at the Sindh High Court whereas 14 KBA members observed the token fast at the City Courts on Friday. At the Malir District Court, four Malir Bar Association members observed the token hunger strike.
MONUMENT: On the City Courts premises, a monument has been constructed in front of the KBA office. KBA Vice-President said it would be a symbol of lawyers’ prolonged struggle for independence of judiciary. A marble plaque inscribed with names of the KBA office- bearers has been affixed above the monument with the monogram of the association and shape of the Constitution. He said it was his idea that the monument be inaugurated by the Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on Saturday.
SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN: A signature campaign was launched at the SHC and City Courts to register support to the CJ on Friday. Lawyers in a large number were seen signing on a many-meter-long white sheet of cloth.
