April 02, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24, 1429

QUETTA, April 1: Supreme Court Bar Association president Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said on Tuesday that conspiracies were being hatched at the presidency against the Murree declaration.

Addressing a press conference at the Quetta Press Club, he warned that any change in the agreement reached between the PPP and PML-N would lead to a confrontation among institutions.

“The Murree accord was signed in the larger interest of the country. It guarantees independence of the judiciary and reinstatement of deposed judges,” he said.

Former president of Pakistan Bar Council Hamid Khan, former vice-chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council Ali Ahmed Kurd, Balochistan Bar Association president Baz Mohammad Kakar and other lawyers attended the press conference.

Barrister Ahsan said that the legal fraternity did not want confrontation among institutions. “Lawyers’ movement stands for strengthening of the institutions which have been weakened by former dictators just to serve their personal interests.”

He said the reinstatement of deposed judges would create problems for the judges who had taken oath under the PCO on November 3, adding that their cases would be decided on merit.

He denied that there would a judicial crisis after the reinstatement of deposed judges.

He said that some elements in Supreme Court were behind the ransacking of the residence of Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday.

Barrister Ahsan said that Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum and President Pervez Musharraf had admitted that steps taken by the government on Nov 3 last year were unconstitutional.

He thanked the people of Balochistan for according a warm welcome to Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Earlier, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, addressing a lawyers’ meeting which continued till early Tuesday morning, said that the struggle against the dictatorship and for the supremacy of judiciary was continuing.

He said that the people had rejected anti-democratic and unconstitutional forces in the Feb 18 elections.

“The struggle goes on. It is a struggle for a worthy cause,” Justice Iftikhar told the meeting held at the Quetta High Court building.

He praised the judges who refused to take the oath under the Provisional Constitution Order. “They sacrificed their careers for the sake of Constitution and independence of judiciary. They were incarcerated along with their families and children, but they did not bow,” he said.