ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: Acting president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Sakhi Sultan has said that 600 to 700 lawyers have been detained in a countrywide crackdown since the proclamation of emergency. He said nine of the 22 office-bearers of the SCBA had been arrested.

Talking to reporters at the Islamabad camp office of the Rawalpindi Press Club, he reiterated the association’s resolve of not appearing before judges who had taken oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO). He said the imposition of emergency had put the country’s sovereignty at stake.

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), meanwhile, has criticised the government for keeping SCBA president Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan in solitary confinement in Adiyala Jail and shifting the association’s former president Muneer A. Malik to Attock Jail where he was allegedly being tortured.

In a statement, the council also expressed concern over the detention of former PBC vice-chairman Ali Ahmed Kurd at Sihala Rest-house where he was allegedly being tortured. It said that Advocate Tariq Mehmood was being kept in solitary confinement in Sahiwal Jail.

Mr Sultan said SCBA vice-president Imdad Ali Awan was not being given medicines for blood pressure and diabetes in Sukkur Jail where he had been kept in solitary confinement.

He demanded immediate end to illegal confinement of judges who had refused to take oath under the PCO and release of lawyers, journalists and other activists arrested throughout Pakistan for protesting against the emergency.

He called for immediate unsealing of the offices of the PBC and the SCBA, announcement of an election schedule and the setting up of an interim government to hold the polls in a free, fair and impartial manner.

Meanwhile, the American Bar Association (ABA) has written a letter to Gen Musharraf, expressing concern over the imposition of the state of emergency by suspending the Constitution, dismissal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and detention of lawyers and human rights activists.

ABA president William H. Neukom urged President Musharraf to restore judicial independence, heed the rulings of the Supreme Court and other judicial authorities and let lawyers and human rights advocates do their vital work in defence of the rule of law.

“Without an impartial judiciary, governmental claims of commitment to the rule of law, such as you (President Musharraf) made when declaring the state of emergency, ring hollow,” the letter said, adding that disbanding the Supreme Court and arresting lawyers and human rights advocates undermined popular support for the government.

The PBC appreciated the courage, determination and sacrifice of the lawyers’ community and the media in the struggle for the rule of law, restoration of the Constitution and independence of the judiciary.

“We call upon them to remain steadfast in their resolve and their names will be written in golden words in the annals of the history of Pakistan.”