July 26, 2007	Thursday	Rajab 10, 1428

HYDERABAD, July 25: President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Munir A.Malik, has said that the SCBA would challenge President Gen Pervez Musharraf's attempt to get himself re-elected from the existing parliament and added that political parties were needed to be sensitised so that they should desist from hobnobbing with the dictators.

He said if the causes behind the March 9 action were not traced then such actions would happen in future again.

He was addressing the Hyderabad District Bar Association (HDBA) on Wednesday.

He said the awareness made the people to know that Gwadar was not property of an individual that is doled out and that state has to account for each missing person in the country.

“All these issues are now before the apex court and we will pursue them”, he added.

He wished that every judge of the country, regardless of lower or superior judiciary, should become Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and added that only a fearless judge could dispense justice to people.

He said another part of struggle was to change mindset of officials in judiciary that they were holding constitutional posts and not merely performing their duties.He said he had seen monsoon rain in Sukkur and then in Hyderabad where sitting high court judges turned-up to welcome the CJP who addressed the bars there after being rendered non-functional following presidential reference. He cautioned the legal fraternity not to get carried away rather have a check on judiciary so that it should not lose its recently gained independence.

“Let it (judiciary) start putting stamps of legitimacy on important issues. We need to strengthen it further so that it should become A-team of people of Pakistan, he said.

He said it was the responsibility of bar and bench to have a check on each and every judge in their area. He said since people always focussed on effects rather eliminating its root causes that's why for the past 60 years a particular group, comprising military, industrialists, civil mafia and bureaucracy concentrated power in its hand and didn't change the system.

Mr Malik argued that this group had been defeated by lawyers’ struggle and added that life itself was a journey and not destination and it had been proved that bar associations and Pakistan Bar Council (PCB) are true democratic institutions of the country.

He called for sensitising civilian leadership as well after changing minds of judges and military.

“Civilian leadership must be taught that people are the bastion of power, therefore, they should avoid colluding with the military”, he observed.

He was critical of some statements of Maulana Fazal ur Rehman, who, he said, had kissed the hands of chief justice on March 13 but made a different statement later-on. “At least people shouldn't deceive their own conscience”, he said.

He maintained that a new Pakistan is to be founded where all the four provinces are united, military should be aiming their guns at frontiers instead of their own people, who should be getting inexpensive medicines.

“We are required to emulate Nelson Mandela of South Africa who spent 27 years of his life in jail and then led entirely a new South Africa”, he said.

Later talking to journalists, he said the SCBA would definitely challenge president's re-election plan from the existing parliament. He said: “he should doff his uniform and wait for two years before planning to contest for elections”.

He said SCBA would also see whether the case of ISI funding to political parties is taken-up by the apex court.

To a question whether Supreme Court should take suo motu notice of turmoil in Waziristan, he said a constitutional petition on this issue was pending before the apex court and it is duty of supreme court that it would discharge its responsibility in the wake of continuous loss of civilian and military lives.

Our Badin Correspondent adds: President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Munir A.Malik, has said it was up to the people to decide whether they wanted a civilian or an army setup to rule them.

Addressing members of the Badin Bar Association here on Wednesday, Mr Malik said people needed a diligent leadership that could provide them justice which is their fundamental right.

He said that the lawyers’ movement was to create awareness among the people and to introduce real democracy and rule of law in the country.

He said that stand of the Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was justified who resisted the military dictator for tampering with the constitution.

“We have achieved victory, yet we must not relax as after reinstatement of the chief justice, our long journey has started to reach the real destination for restoration of real democracy and restoration of fundamental rights of people”.

He said that the institutions dispensing justice must refrain from becoming ‘B’ team of the army and every magistrate should behave just like the chief justice.

He said that political parties should come with an open mind and keep themselves away from coming through backdoor deals.

He lauded the role of the media and sought its help for struggle of the noble cause.

He appealed to the lawyers to help provide justice to poor people.