January 15, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 05, 1429

LAHORE, Jan 14: Lawyers believe restricting boycott of court proceedings to a day will ease the pressure off the government’s back to restore the pre-Nov 3 judiciary and release detained superior court judges and lawyers.

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) in its meeting on Sunday had allowed lawyers to appear before the judges, who had taken oath under the Nov 3 Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) in protest and for the sake of the litigants.

The lawyers’ movement had inspired students and people from different walks of life to stand up for the cause of an independent judiciary.

But, after the PBC decision, now they feel little disappointed but at the same time they understand the fact that lawyers have to make their both ends meet too.

“We regret the decision because the lawyers have served as an important factor in keeping the struggle alive. We understand their concern and hope their move will not cut the pace of the movement,” said Students Action Committee (SAC) representative Sundus Hurnain.

However, some lawyers believe the decision should not have been made at all because it would have an adverse impact on the ongoing movement.

Supreme Court Bar Association media adviser Azhar Siddique said the PBC should have given the call in accordance with the agenda of the lawyers National Action Committee (NAC), which wanted the extension of the boycott in toto.

Azhar said Justice Rana Bhagwandas had rightly said that keeping the movement alive for a little longer would yield desired results. He said the NWFP bar’s stand of continuing the boycott was based on realism and added that lawyers had rendered numerous sacrifices in their struggle and curtailing the momentum at this stage would not be a good idea.

The committee says the lawyers stand for restoration of the judiciary at the pre-PCO state and release of their leaders was just and right and their success in fact will ensure free and fair elections in the country.

The committee also condemns notice to deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary to vacate his official residence and also the house arrest of Justice Rana Bhagwandas.

The stand adopted by NWFP and Balochistan bars to continue boycott of the PCO judges reflects realism that any relaxation in the protest will mean giving relief to the government, says former PBC vice-chairman Hafiz Abdul Rahman Ansari. Shunning a complete weeklong boycott would render the lawyers’ movement ineffective, he added.

Ansari asked for identifying the cause behind lawyers’ appearance before the judges in Lahore, especially when it was not a case in other bars of the country. He added the cause of the community would suffer further if the Thursday’s protest rallies failed in achieving the desired results.

Ansari slated the continuous detention of Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, Ali Ahmad Kurd, Justice Tariq Mahmood (retired) and Munir A Malik. He said around 50 judges including Chief Justice Chaudhary were virtually under house arrest.

He condemned the house arrest of Justice Bhagwandas and the government’s notice to Chief Justice Chaudhry to vacate the official residence.

He said the need of the hour was expediting the movement and giving it more impetus indeed so that community could achieve the target.