December 17, 2007	Monday	Zilhaj 6, 1428

PESHAWAR, Dec 16: The Lawyers Action Committee (NWFP) on Sunday denounced the amendments made to the Constitution and said that no individual, including President Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, had the right to ‘distort’ it.

The lawyers vowed to continue their struggle till the restoration of Justice Iftikhar Moham-mad Chaudhry and other judges who had not taken oath under the Provisional Consti-tution Order (PCO).

Peshawar High Court Bar Association president Abdul Lateef Afridi chaired the meeting, which was attended by a large number of lawyers, including Abdul Lateef Afridi, Barrister Zahoorul Haq, Barrister Baachaa and Qaiser Rasheed.

Speakers said that Mr Musharraf had ‘illegally’ validated the amendments made to the Constitution and sacking of independent judges.

They alleged that the PCO had been incorporated in the Constitution.

They claimed that through the amendments General (retd) Musharraf had placed himself over and above the Constitution.

They said that nowhere in the civilised world the Constitution of a country was made subservient to an individual.

Speakers suggested that since winter vacations in courts would start from Dec 25 and culminate on Jan 9, they should continue their boycott of superior courts till that date.

They regretted that six additional judges had been first asked to take an oath under the PCO on Dec 13 and two days later they were asked to take a fresh oath under the Consti-tution. “This is nothing but to ridicule the judiciary. Musharraf has turned the judiciary into a laughing stock,” said Mr Afridi.

Barrister Zahoorul Haq said that Gen (retd) Musharraf had imposed the state of emergency on the ‘excuse’ of worsening law and order situation and removed all independent judges. Now, he added, the unconstitutional acts had been validated by making drastic changes in the Constitution.

Barrister Baacha said there was a set procedure embodied in the Constitution for making amendments in its articles and no individual, not even the apex court, had the authority to do away with them.

“Amendments in Articles 41 and 44 have completely disfigured the 1973 Constitution and it was no longer the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.” At best it could be referred to as the ‘2007 General Musharraf Constitution’, Barrister Baachaa said.

Speakers urged lawyers to actively oppose the general election and reach out to the masses calling them for boycott. They said the elections would be rigged and it was expected that the PML-Q, MQM and JUI-F would be bag more seats than any other party.