May 22, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1429

LAHORE, May 21: Lawyers have announced a rally in the city on Thursday (today) and vowed to ensure a complete boycott of the courts of the judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO).

LHCBA President Anwar Kamal has formed a committee, dominated by former presidents of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, to make sure that lawyers do not appear in courts on Thursday.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, former LHCBA president Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari, the head of the committee, said all members of the committee as well as young lawyers would gather in front of the corridor leading to courtrooms to persuade lawyers not to plead their cases.

The violation of the Pakistan Bar Council’s boycott call at the principal seat of the Lahore High Court has become an issue. Although LHCBA office-bearers try to persuade their peers not to go to courtrooms and also ask the judges not to dismiss cases because of non-prosecution, a majority of lawyers prefer to plead their cases on Thursdays. The problem was highlighted at the All Pakistan Lawyers Representative Convention here a few days ago.

To a question, Kamal said the names of the lawyers appearing before the judges would be displayed in the barroom, adding their bar memberships would be cancelled if they repeated the exercise next Thursday. The committee of senior lawyers would also ensure full implementation of the courts boycott, rallies and protest camps at all levels at city courts.

The committee has been formed to make more effective the lawyers’ protest against the delay in the restoration of deposed judges. In this connection, the PBC has also announced conventions in Faisalabad, Peshawar and Lahore, where deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will be the chief guest. The first convention will be held on May 24 in Faisalabad.