March 05, 2008	Wednesday	Safar 26, 1429

QUETTA, March 4: Former vice-chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council Ali Ahmed Kurd was released on Tuesday after four months in detention.

He had been taken into custody in Islamabad on Nov 3 following imposition of the state of emergency.

Later, he was shifted to Quetta and placed under house arrest with his residence declared as a sub-jail. The government withdrew security personnel from his residence on Tuesday evening and informed him that he was free.

Hearing about his release, a large number of lawyers including president of Balochistan Bar Association Baz Mohammad Kakar and vice-president Sabir Jamil reached his residence. They chanted slogans against President Pervez Musharraf.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kurd said that lawyers would not abandon their struggle for reinstatement of deposed judges, including chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. He said that lawyers would not tolerate dictatorship any more and would resist any such move with full force.

Mr Kurd said that lawyers would give some time to the coming government to reinstate the judges and if it failed to do so lawyers would once again come on the street.

Earlier on Tuesday Pakistan People’s Party leader Syed Khursheed Shah called on Mr Kurd while the latter was in detention and said that the judges’ issue would be resolved.

The police had initially stopped the PPP delegation from meeting Mr Kurd but later allowed them to meet him.

Talking to reporters, Mr Shah said that PPP stood for sovereign and independent judicial system so that people could get justice.