April 01, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 23, 1429

KARACHI, March 31: The legal fraternity on Monday boycotted court proceedings at the subordinate courts in protest against the recent attempts to forcibly evict the deposed judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, from his house in the Judges’ Colony in Islamabad.

Although the under-trial prisoners were brought to the police lockup at the City Courts from different prisons and judges were present in their chambers, their cases could not proceed due to the boycott. The police later took their prisoners back to their respective jails.

Meanwhile, the Karachi Bar Association held its general body meeting in the Shuhada-i-Punjab Hall of the City Courts on Monday to condemn the SC staff’s bid to forcibly evict Justice Ramday from his house. The meeting urged the new government to initiate a high-level inquiry into the matter and take stern action against all those involved in the action. The lawyers vowed to continue their struggle till the restoration of the pre-Nov 3 judiciary.

Later, the lawyers, chanting slogans against Gen Pervez Musharraf, held a protest march on the premises of the courts. Boycott of court proceedings was also observed at the District Court Malir, where lawyers raised slogans against the unethical treatment meted out to Justice Ramday.

Rabbani’s stance hailed

The Sindh High Court Bar Association managing committee has appreciated PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani’s statement that he has declined to accept any office in the new federal cabinet because he is not prepared to take an oath from an unconstitutional president.

An SHCBA press release issued by its secretary, Munirur Rehman, on Monday said the newly-appointed leader of the house in the Senate had endorsed the lawyer fraternity’s stance that the re-election of Gen Musharraf as president held in November 2007 was in violation of the Constitution.