November 20, 2007	Tuesday	Ziqa’ad 09, 1428

SWABI, Nov 19: The Swabi Bar Association through a unanimous resolution named the newly-constructed district judicial complex in the Shahmansoor Township after the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, on Monday.

In a related development, the Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba of the Government Postgraduate College Swabi named the Fawara Chowk of the college after Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

A protest meeting of lawyers was held at the bar office in which the Gandhara Union of Journalists, Swabi Union of Journalists and Abaseen Union of Journalists also participated.

The lawyers said the award of the Harvard Law School Medal of Freedom for Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was a good move.

They said the lawyers’ struggle for the independence of the judiciary would continue until the achievement of their objective.

Ghulam Mursalin Marwat adds from Lakki Marwat: The District Bar Association boycotted court proceedings to express solidarity with the community of journalists.

Under the banner of the District Bar Association and the District Press Club the lawyers and local media persons also staged a protest demonstration on the premises of the Tajazai judicial complex against the curbs on media. President of Lakki Bar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan and president of District Press Club Mohammad Qasim Marwat led the procession.

Irfan Mughal adds from Dera Ismail Khan: Journalists organised a protest demonstration against the dictatorial policies of Gen Pervez Musharraf to gag the free press and close TV channels in the country and abroad. The protesters marched through the streets, carrying placards and chanting slogans against the government.

Nasir Iqbal adds from Karak: The lawyers held a meeting in the court premises along with local journalists to show solidarity with media persons.

While addressing the meeting, advocates Jabbar and Akhter Hussain said the rulers could not prolong their illegal stay at the helm of affairs through illegal means.

They said the ban on the media and the complete closure of a few leading television channels showed the weakness of the government, adding that the tactics had been used by all dictators in the past.

Syed Zahid Jan adds from Upper Dir: The communities of journalists and lawyers condemned the unpopular measures of the present regime to muzzle the media in Pakistan, following the imposition of emergency rule. They called for the lifting of media curbs.

The protesters criticised the government for putting pressure on the UAE government to stop the broadcast of Geo and ARY TV channels. They marched from the bar room to the press club to express solidarity with journalists against Gen Musharraf’s decision to close television channels, and for resisting his dictatorial rule.

“(Gen) Musharraf employed cheap means to use a foreign government for gagging the media in Pakistan,” they said, referring to the closure of Geo and ARY TV channels.

Condemning the United States for supporting Musharraf, they said the US was not sincere in opposing dictatorship in Pakistan. Rather it was strengthening it by lending it support.

Students of the Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba and Pukhtun Students Federation also held demonstrations and chanted anti-Musharraf slogans.

Haleem Asad adds from Timergara: The lawyers and journalists of Lower Dir condemned the role played by political parties during emergency rule, claiming that they were not sincere in their agitation against Gen Musharraf.

This was stated by lawyers and journalists during a joint protest rally held here against the imposition of emergency rule, ouster of superior court judges and curbs on the media.

The protesters paraded from the Balambat bar room to the Timergara press Club where they staged a protest rally.

Acting general secretary of the bar, Kifayat Yar advocate, senior lawyers Mohammad Jamil, Fazal Malik, journalists Mohabbat Shah, Haleem Asad, Abdullah Madani, Jalil, Mohammad Israr and coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Akbar Khan addressed the rally.