September 30, 2007	Sunday	Ramazan 17, 1428

PESHAWAR, Sept 29: A civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate on Saturday announced his decision to resign against the Supreme Court’s judgment on petitions against General Pervez Musharraf and resolved to join the legal fraternity in their struggle for the independence of judiciary and genuine democracy in Pakistan.

Civil judge Ijaz Ahmad, who is stationed in Abbottabad, submitted one-month’s notice to the Peshawar High Court registrar stating that from October 29 he might be treated as having resigned.“I feel no hesitation in tendering this notice to resign from the post as civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate, and am quite convinced that until the most prestigious post, prior to Sept 28, 2007, is sacrificed we would not be able to make progress and protect the rule of law,” he said.

He said that the judgment of Sept 28 had demolished all that had been achieved over the past three months. He considered it the beginning of a black chapter in the legal history. “As a judge I don’t want to be looked down upon.”

He said as a true son of this beloved state of Pakistan, he was duty-bound to play his role, join the legal fraternity and men of principles and resign despite the ‘stiff opposition’ of his well-wishers and pro-government family members and friends.

“The lawyers, who struggled hard to save the honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan from being humiliated in order to strengthen the judiciary as an institution, deserve all praise, (and) can’t be left alone in their struggle,” he said.