June 15, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29, 1428

RAWALPINDI, June 14: District Bar Association (DBA), Rawalpindi on Thursday cancelled the membership of two senior lawyers for appearing in cases on behalf of the government.

Their membership was cancelled during a protest meeting held every Thursday when lawyers observe complete strike, boycot court proceedings to express solidarity with the chief justice.

The motion for the cancellation of bar membership of Raja Muhammad Ibrahim Satti advocate Supreme Court (SC) and Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman advocate SC, both members of Rawalpindi bar association, was moved by Zubair Qadri advocate. The DBA unanimously passed the resolution canceling their memberships.

The lawyers were annoyed with Raja Ibrahim advocate for appearing before SC as a government counsel against the lawyers who have been booked in the case of attempted assault on Khalid Ranjha and Chaudhry Arif on the occasion of hearing of presidential reference against Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman membership was cancelled for appearing as a defence counsel on behalf of some police officials who were booked in a contempt case when CJ was allegedly manhandled by policemen on March 13 first hearing date of presidential reference in SJC.

The DBA meting, presided over by Sardar Asmatullah President Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and Khalid Ismail Abbasi President DBA, also decided the matter of these lawyers would be referred to Punjab and Pakistan Bar Council for further action against them. The lawyers resolved not to allow these lawyers to enter the premises of the bar.

Speaking on the occasion Abadur Rehman Lodhi advocate said no compromise or reservations would be entertained in the on-going movement of lawyers for the independence of judiciary as it was a national cause. President LHCBA Sardar Asmatullah said the extreme hot weather could not deter the lawyers from travelling with CJ on June 16 when he would go to Faisalabad to address the bar association. He said all arrangements had been finalised in this regard.