May 24, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 07, 1428

LAHORE, May 23: “Lawyers are struggling for a one-point ‘go Musharraf go’ agenda which would solve all the problems.” Lahore High Court Bar Association president Ahsan Bhoon stated this on Wednesday at a conference of representatives of more than 60 civil society organisations convened by the Labour Party Pakistan at the Lahore Press Club with Pakistan Workers Confederation president Chaudhry Talib Nawaz in the chair for expressing solidarity with the lawyers.

Mr Bhoon said problems like restoration of constitution and independence of judiciary would be solved automatically with the exit of Gen Musharraf.

He said Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had set an example for the political parties by defying a dictator. The bar had talked to the PML-N and the PPP leadership. Neither was ready to accept Gen Musharraf under any circumstances, he added.

He said the bar had constituted a national committee for coordinating the movement of lawyers and mustering support for it.

He said independence of judiciary was a purely political issue. He termed May 12 incidents of Karachi shameful.

LHCBA secretary general Sarfraz Cheema said the government was making all possible efforts to divide the lawyers by offering them lucrative jobs but they had refused to be tempted. Civil society organisations were also joining their struggle for the restoration of independence of judiciary. The teachers and doctors would join their struggle from Thursday (today) by observing token strike. The people who could not participate in the lawyers’ struggle should wear black armbands every Thursday.

LHCBA People’s Rights Committee chairman Khawar Mahmood said all sections of society were supporting the lawyers because they were not struggling for power.

Awami National Party secretary general Ehsan Wyne said power was first seized by bureaucracy and then armed forces after independence due to incompetence of feudal politicians. The lawyers launched the movement of independence of judiciary after the military rulers pressurized the CJP to resign and he refused to do so.

He said the movement launched by the lawyers for independence of judiciary had become the movement for justice and restoration of political rights. The time of departure of Gen Musharraf was drawing near and political parties were required to play their role to ensure that another general did not seize power.

He said the MQM was not a political party but a military sponsored goons’ organisation.

PPP central committee member and former foreign minister Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali said the lawyers were in vanguard of the movement for the restoration of rule of law.

He said the MQM had become a fascist organisation by killing and injuring people in Karachi on May 12. Participation of 6,000 to 7,000 in the MQM rally was a clear proof of its falling popularity.

He said the MQM had not only killed ANP workers but 15 PPP workers also. Gen Musharraf was the COAS of the MQM because he belonged to Agra.

He said the government had recruited 40,000 policemen and 25,000 to 30,000 teachers for rigging general elections.

Labour Party Pakistan secretary general Farooq Tariq said the movement launched by the lawyers for the independence of judiciary had turned into the movement for end of dictatorship of Gen Musharraf who was defending killing of more than 40 people in Karachi by the MQM on May 12. He said 600,000 people had lost their jobs as a result of privatisation.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Nifaz-i-Shariat) president Engineer Salimullah Khan said Gen Musharraf had threatened with imposition of martial law.

He said Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif should return immediately and join the struggle for restoration of democracy with other political parties.

Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights convener Shahtaj Qizilbash was all praise for the CJP for defying a military dictator.

She said political parties should join hands with the lawyers for the restoration of democracy and rule of law in the country.

Pakistan Medical Association chairperson Dr Yasmin Rashed said the doctors would continue supporting the lawyers’ movement because they had given new life to the people.

Pakistan Teachers Federation chairman Azam Butt said school and college teachers would join the struggle from Thursday (today).

Awami Tehrik leader Abdul Qadir said the MQM had been created by the late Gen Ziaul Haq to counter the MRD. Killing of innocent people in Karachi on May 12 had exposed the fascist character of the MQM.

National Workers Party leader Raja Wilayat said the lawyers’ movement had put the personality cult to an end.

National Trade Union Federation chairman Yousaf Baloch said the army seized power due to the weakness of politicians.

Women Action Forum representative Gulnaz said the government attempt to cover up its involvement in Karachi mayhem had failed miserably.

Istaqlal Party chairman Manzoor Gilani said political parties should desist from bargaining with Gen Musharraf.

Muttahida Labour Federation leader Muhammad Akbar, PTCL Action Committee leader Jabbar Butt, Labour Education Foundation representative Javed, Faisalabad Labour Qaumi Movement president Malik Qayyum, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front provincial president Syed Faisal Nazki and All Pakistan Federation of Trade Union provincial president Gulzar Chaudhry said the struggle launched by the lawyers had ended the political stalemate in the country.

The participants offered fateha for the victims of Karachi mayhem and demanded registration of a murder case against the MQM leadership, provincial and federal governments. They also demanded resignation of Gen Musharraf and constitution of an independent election commission for holding general elections. They also called for discontinuation of privatisation and land reforms for fixing maximum ownership limit to 25 acre.