January 17, 2008	Thursday	Muharram 07, 1429

RAWALPINDI, Jan 16: The District Bar Association (DBA) Rawalpindi in its general body meeting held on Wednesday asked the Pakistan Bar Council to revise its decision on ending the boycott of those judges who had taken oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO).

Criticising the PBC decision, the lawyers urged their representative body to review its move within two to three days and resume the complete boycott of the “PCO judges”.

They said the legal practitioners had been suffering financial losses and putting their profession at stake for the rule of law and independence of judiciary, but the PBC decision to appear before those judges who consented to President Pervez Musharraf’s November 3 unconstitutional step tantamount to putting a legitimacy tag on the “PCO judges”.

Chairing the meeting, DBA Rawalpindi President Sardar Tariq Masood Khan also demanded that a convention of lawyers, which was to be held on February 9, should be arranged within one week at the Supreme Court Bar Association offices, and opinion of the participants should be taken to make a final decision on the boycott.

Other speakers said all important decisions during the post- March 9 movement of the lawyers were taken by the National Action Committee, a representative forum of the lawyers, and the same should decide on this issue.

They vowed to continue with their struggle against the unconstitutional dismissal of judges and illegal detention of their leaders.