January 19, 2008	Saturday	Muharram 09, 1429

LAHORE, Jan 18: The Punjab Home Department has rejected an application of the office-bearers of the Supreme Court Bar Association for permission to meet their president Aitzaz Ahsan.

“If the attorney general can meet Aitzaz, why cant we,” questions SCBA media adviser Muhammad Azhar Siddique.

SCBA vice president (Punjab) Ghulam Nabi Bhatti, secretary Ch Ameen Javed, members of its executive committee Rana Farman Ali Sabir and Khawaja Tariq Sohail and media adviser Muhammad Azhar Siddique advocate had filed a joint application with the home secretary in order to meet Mr Ahsan to discuss with him matters pertaining to the association’s affairs.

After the rejection of their application, the SCBA representatives reached the residence of Aitzaz, which had been declared as sub-jail. The assistant superintendent jail, deputed there, also barred them from meeting their detained leader.

Talking to reporters, Ghulam Nabi Bhatti termed it a discrimination on the part of the Punjab government, saying: “The government has sent the Attorney General to Aitzaz’s house even without his (Aitzaz’s) consent but does not let them meet him.”

Speaking on the occasion, Bushra Aitzaz criticized the government for not allowing bar representatives to meet their president. At the same time, she said, the authorities had sent their man (AG) in a bid to convince Aitzaz to stop lawyers’ movement. She said her husband was in high spirits and would not retreat till the restoration of all deposed judges.

SCBA secretary Ameen Javed asked the Pakistan Bar Council to withdraw its decision of allowing lawyers to appear before the PCO judges. He said lawyers would hold a protest procession before the Supreme Court building on Monday if they were not allowed to meet with their president.

The SCBA media adviser said when they filed the application on Friday morning, the home secretary told them that he would tell them after 2pm. He said after 2pm the secretary plainly refused to give them the permission to meet Aitzaz. He said they wanted to discuss the administrative affairs of the bar since the SCBA body could not hold a single meeting with their president as most of his time, after being elected as president, was spent in detention.