RAWALPINDI, March 4: Lawyers here on Tuesday urged upon the people and the civil society to observe black flag week with the legal practitioners to protest over “the unconstitutional removal of the superior court judges” and to raise voice for their reinstatement.

The call was made by High Court Bar Association (HCBA) President Sardar Asmatullah advocate while addressing a press conference at the Rawalpindi Press Club here on Tuesday.

The lawyers will observe a black flag week from March 9 to 16 in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).

Flanked by other office-bearers of the HCBA, Mr Asmatullah asked the people to join lawyers in the silent protest and hoist black flags on their houses and shops to register their protest over, what he described, the unlawful acts of the dictator.

He told the media persons that the HCBA would host a convention of lawyers on March 6 and SCBA President Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan would address the lawyers.

He said the convention would be attended by lawyers and their representatives, newly-elected MNAs and MPAs, representatives of the student unions, labour unions and the civil society.

The HCBA president said the Pakistani government was taking pride in releasing an Indian spy, whereas the chief justice along with other senior judges was being detained illegally for the last four months.

Explaining the reasons because of which the SCBA decided to postpone its call for a long march towards the parliament on March 9; Mr Asmatullah said there was a perception that perhaps the lawyers’ fraternity was trying to put the new parliament under pressure. “We have decided to give new members some time to restore the pre-November 3 judiciary,” he added.

He, however, said the judiciary before the proclamation of emergency in the country had not been restored yet and the judges were still under detention, while “Pervez Musharraf in collaboration with his agencies was conspiring against the judiciary”.