KARACHI : KBA demands suo motu notice of police action
By A Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 8: The Karachi Bar Association (KBA), condemning the police action against lawyers and journalists in Peshawar on Oct 6, has urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take a suo motu notice of the violent incidents.
The demand was put forward at a general body meeting of the KBA on Monday held at the Shuhada-i-Punjab Hall of the City Courts with the senior member of the KBA managing committee, K.K. Javaid Khan, in the chair.
KBA joint secretary Aamir Niaz Khan moved a resolution against the government and urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Peshawar High Court to take a suo motu notice of the violence and award exemplary punishment to those responsible for those incidents.
He said that the lawyers across the country stood united against the dictators and would not play into the hands of the political parties. Recalling the lawyers’ sacrifices during the movement for the independence of the judiciary, he said that the crucial role they had played during that movement would long be remembered in history.
The KBA office-bearer was of the view that holding of a peaceful protest was everyone’s constitutional right but unfortunately the government was trying to crush the lawyers through violent means.
Mushtaq Ahmed Awan said that the politicians of the country had disappointed the entire nation by striking deals with the government and said that President Musharraf had no option but to quit, but Benazir Bhutto and Maulana Fazalur Rehman again provided him with a chance to rule the country for another five years.
Expressing anguish over the promulgation of the national reconciliation ordinance, he said that it had been a serious blow to the country’s economy as those who had usurped billions of rupees had been given a free hand. He said that all the corrupt politicians should be punished and the national wealth be recovered from them.
He said that on one hand the poor masses of this country had been fighting for their survival and on the other the corrupt politicians had been pardoned by an individual.
Mr Awan said that a number of lawyers had been martyred and their children had no other source of income but the rulers had so far not paid them compensation to run their affairs of daily routine.
He clarified that the lawyers felt no animosity towards any particular political outfit and their struggle had been aimed at the independence of the judiciary.
Criticising the policies of President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Naheed Afzaal said that the rulers had utterly failed to serve the nation as Pakistan had been under both external and internal threats.
He held Maulana Fazlur Rehman responsible for the re-election of Pervez Muasharraf and condemned the national reconciliation ordinance. He said that the lawyers had played their role and were proud of their unity and stand against the dictators.
Raja Zardad Khan said that the country had already been divided due to the wrong policies of the rulers and military generals and unfortunately the present rulers were committing the same mistakes.
The credit, he said, went to the lawyers who had always fought for democracy but the dictators had always tried to suppress their voice.
K.K. Javaid Khan said that the police action against lawyers in Peshawar was a shameful act on the part of the government. He said that the police had tried to crush the lawyers to death, leaving the president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, Latif Afridi, seriously injured.
He said that the lawyers had always raised their voice against injustice, dictatorship and for the rule of law but the rulers had no courage to face the facts. He asked the provincial government to take stern action against those involved in the conspiracy against lawyers.
