December 27, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 16, 1428

PESHAWAR, Dec 26: A provincial lawyers’ convention here on Wednesday condemned manhandling of Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan and vowed to continue boycott of the superior courts.

Amid boycott of the high court, the lawyers observed a black day against roughing up of Mr Ahsan by police.

The gathering, presided over by NWFP Bar Council vice-chairman Fazal Tawab Khan, was attended by the presidents and secretaries-general of all the bar associations in the province.

The participants resolved that the boycott of superior courts would continue till Jan 12 in accordance with a decision of the All Pakistan Lawyers’ National Action Committee.

A meeting of the action committee will be held in Peshawar on Jan 12 to decide about the future course of action.

The meeting condemned the continuous detention of Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other judges and lawyers leaders Mr Ahsan, Ali Ahmad Kurd and Justice (retd) Tariq Mahmud and barring them from offering Eid prayers.

The lawyers also held a demonstration near the high court.

The protesters wearing black armbands and carrying placards and banners raised slogans of ‘Go Musharraf go,’ Long live Aitzaz Ahsan’ and Long live Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’.

The protesters blocked the road for about half an hour.

At the convention, the participants denounced the recent amendments to the Constitution, Army Act, Pemra Ordinance and other laws and demanded that curbs on the media should be lifted forthwith.

“Our movement will continue till the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other judges who had refused to take oath under the PCO,” said Abdul Lateef Afridi, president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association.

He expressed the hope that Mr Ahsan, Mr Kurd and Mr Mahmud might be released by Jan 8 and they would participate in the action committee’s meeting.

“By that time the results of the farce elections will be available and the line of action to be adopted by the major parties, including the PPP and the PML-N, will be evident,” Mr Afridi said.

“I am sure that the elections will be rigged and these parties will be agitating against the results,” he said.

The president of the PHCBA’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench, Tehmas Khan, announced that a provincial lawyers’ convention would be held in Abbottabad on Jan 5.

He said Justice Tariq Pervez Khan, Justice Shahjehan Khan, Justice Ijaz Afzal Khan and Justice Dost Mohammad Khan — who had not taken oath under the Provisional Constitution Order — would be the chief guests at the convention.

The meeting decided that all the lawyers imprisoned after the imposition of emergency rule on Nov 3 would be awarded gold medals and commendation certificates.

The participants praised the struggle waged by women lawyers, including Musarat Hillali, Ayesha Malik and Parveen Akhter.