November 10, 2007	Saturday	Shawwal 28, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Nov 9: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Friday condemned the detention of its members from different parts of the country and called upon lawyers to continue their boycott of apex court and high court proceedings till the restoration of the judges who refused to take a fresh oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO).

Issued under the signatures of PBC vice-chairman Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig, council members Hamid Khan and Syed Qalb-i-Hassan, the statement condemned the detention of lawyers throughout Pakistan, including Rasheed A. Razvi, lodged at the Karachi jail, house arrest of Qazi Mohammad Anwar in Peshawar, detention of Abrar Hassan, president Sindh High Court Bar Association and the arrest of Abdus Sattar Kazi, president High Court Bar Association, Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, acting president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Sakhi Sultan told Dawn that former vice-chairman PBC Ali Ahmed Kurd, who was earlier lodged at the Sihala rest house and allegedly tortured, had been shifted to a jail, the whereabouts of which was not known.

The PBC statement again reiterated that the lawyers could appear before the subordinate courts from Monday but should hold a one-hour token strike everyday to protest against the imposition of the PCO and emergency.

Meanwhile, the International Bar Association (IBA) has called upon the bars and law societies across the globe to support lawyers and judges in Pakistan.

“We are calling upon bars and law societies around the globe to support the action of lawyers and judges in Pakistan by lobbying their government to pressurise the Pakistani authorities to reinstate the Constitution,” a statement issued by the IBA president Fernando Pombo said.

“The order declaring the state of emergency and the PCO have far-reaching consequences for the rule of law,” the IBA statement said, adding that certain fundamental human rights enshrined in the Constitution, including the right to life, liberty and freedom of movement, had been suspended while the powers of arrest were extended.

“The effect of these orders is to provide complete immunity to President Gen Pervez Musharraf and his government, thereby enabling them to change the Constitution, and adopt any orders or laws they see fit to retain power,” Mark Ellis, IBA executive director said.Unless the Constitution is restored and properly implemented, the rule of law in Pakistan will continue to deteriorate, leading to greater human rights abuses and further departure from the principles of democracy, the statement said.