November 24, 2007	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 13, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has appealed to political parties, particularly those in the opposition, to boycott the coming polls and join the lawyers in their struggle for restoration of the pre-emergency judiciary and the Constitution.

In a resolution adopted at a meeting presided over by its vice-chairman Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig here on Friday, the PBC called upon the political parties, professionals, members of the civil society and citizens to run a campaign to defeat and prevent the ‘fraudulent’ electoral exercise and join the lawyers in their demand that status quo ante, as it prevailed before proclamation of emergency, be restored forthwith.

It said it would regard the parties and people who participated in the elections as ‘collaborators’.

It observed that free, fair and transparent elections could not be held in the absence of the Constitution, independent judiciary, free media and an independent Election Commission.

It said the country was in grip of a constitutional crisis, adding that it was the duty of the political parties, civil society and people belonging to different walks of life to stand by independent judges and to strive for restoration of judiciary ahead of all other concerns.

It said the proclamation of emergency and Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) was patently unconstitutional as had been declared by a seven-member bench of the Supreme Court on Nov 3. It regretted that the chief justice and other judges of the apex court were under house arrest and incommunicado. It said the lawyers did not recognise the PCO judges.

The PBC said Gen Musharraf had subverted the Constitution to perpetuate his unconstitutional rule. The lawyers would remain resolute and determined in their struggle for restoration of the judiciary and the Constitution, it said.