May 16, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 10, 1429

LAHORE, May 15: Supreme Court Bar Association President Aitzaz Ahsan says affiliation with any political party will not stand in the way of the lawyers’ movement if the parliament fails in restoring the deposed judges.

At a press conference on Thursday at his Zaman Park residence, Mr Ahsan admitted having differences with PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari on the mode of restoration of judges.

He said the deposed judges would not be contributing to the movement by chanting slogans for their restoration but were sure to address the bar associations on their invitation.

Mr Ahsan said the All Pakistan Lawyers Representatives Convention on May 17 in Lahore would decide whether or not he could contest the by-poll.

He said he was committed to the lawyers’ movement and would cut short his election work to join it whenever required. He said he had given 40 years of his life to the PPP and went through all sort sorts of rigours, including baton-charge and imprisonment.

He said he would prefer sitting outside the parliament and remain loyal to the party as a worker if he was not allowed to contest the election. He praised PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif for deciding not to field any candidate against him from NA-55 “but I would only contest election if my party allows me”.

He appreciated the PPP proposal for tabling a resolution on the deposed judges before the joint session of the parliament and termed it an act that would add credibility to the executive order on the judges’ restoration. He said a resolution carried by the joint parliament would give a clear signal to the army, judiciary, bureaucracy and the US that all the federating units and the center supported the cause.

—Syed Faisal Shakeel