KARACHI: Lawyers to enlist envoys’ support: Court boycott continues
By Ali Hazrat Bacha
KARACHI, June 29: Lawyers will try to get the support of foreign diplomats, particularly the members of British Parliament and the US Senators, in their ongoing movement for the independence of the judiciary.
This was disclosed by the Karachi Bar Association Vice-President, Qadir Khan, while talking to this reporter following the general body meeting of the association held at Shuhda-i-Punjab Hall on Friday.
“We will try to get the support of foreign diplomats by presenting them memorandums about the judicial crisis in our country. We will also try to approach the members of British Parliament and American Senators through letters for extending their support to our movement for the independence of the judiciary,” Mr Khan said.
Earlier, the lawyers in the City Courts observed a one-hour boycott of court proceedings in protest against the presidential reference filed against the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary. During the boycott, the KBA held its general body meeting which was addressed by KBA Vice-President Qadir Khan, General-Secretary Naeem Qureshi, Managing Committee members Abdul Hafeez Baloch, Uzma Rafiq and Saeed Qureshi.They said the lawyers were playing a crucial role in the movement for the rule of law though it was a movement of the entire nation, particularly of those who were denied of their rights in society.
The lawyers expressed hope that soon after the summer vacations civil society activists and various organisations, including those of students, traders, doctors, engineers and labourers, would join the lawyers’ movement for the independence of the judiciary.
A majority of the population was in need of easy justice but people had not been organised yet to raise their voice collectively for the purpose, they said, adding that the credit went to the legal practitioners who have been running the campaign for the last few months and created awareness among the masses.
A new strategy would be devised on the return of thousands of lawyers to the courts after summer vacation, they said, adding that no stone would be left unturned for the achievement of an independent judiciary.
They said that lawyers were enjoying moral support of the nation and people would soon be organised properly to step up the movement for the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and the restoration of the constitution and the rule of law.
The lawyers criticised the government for forcing the media to avoid coverage of the chief justice’s processions in different parts of the country and recalled that all such policies against media in the past always proved fatal for the rulers.
The government, they said, was continuously intimidating media people by issuing notices compelling them to avoid coverage of the lawyers’ movement which they said was a negation of the tall claims of the rulers about the freedom of press in the country.
Offering free legal aid to the media people across the country against the government curbs on media, they said all these problems would be solved once the judiciary was free.
Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court Bar Association held its general body meeting which was addressed by Ahmed Nafees Osmani and Ibrahim Azmi.
They claimed the recent posting and transfers of military generals in haste were the result of the lawyers’ movement which had panicked the rulers, who did not know how to overcome the crisis.
SHCBA members were optimistic about the CJP’s reinstatement saying that the country’s overall situation was indicating that lawyers would emerge victorious in their struggle and the rulers would have to say goodbye to their powers.
