May 23, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 17, 1429

PESHAWAR, May 22: The lawyers on Thursday resolved to award historical welcome to deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on May 31 and also called upon the civil society groups to join hands with them on that occasion.

They stated that no constitutional amendment aimed at curtailing the powers of judiciary and protecting the handpicked judges of Pervez Musharraf would be acceptable to them.

The lawyers paid tributes to the Punjab government for its announcement to give official protocol to the chief justice and condemned the statement of NWFP Minister for Law Barrister Arshid Abdullah that the government would not provide official protocol to Justice Chaudhry.

Amidst boycott of all the courts, a joint general body meeting of Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) and Peshawar District Bar Association (PDBA) was held here which announced that they would fully participate in the scheduled lawyers’ convention on May 31 and would made it a successful event.

PHCBA president Abdul Lateef Afridi, who chaired the meeting, expressed the hope that the judges would be restored before the convention. He expected that before the scheduled long march the judges would be reinstated.

Through a unanimously adopted resolution the meeting condemned the growing interference of the USA in the affairs of the country and termed it a blatant violation of the sovereignty of Pakistan. “Pakistan shall not be considered a colony of the US as it is an independent and sovereign country,” the resolution said.

Another resolution lauded the Punjab government and its law minister, Rana Sanaullah, for the decision to provide official protocol of Chief Justice of Pakistan to Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

The meeting also condemned the killing of four close family members of MNA Maulana Noorul Haq Qadri and Senator Abdul Malik in Khyber Agency and demanded that the killers should be awarded exemplary punishment.

The meeting also offered fateha for the departed souls of the killed persons.

The meeting was also attended by members of Peoples Lawyers Forum and one of their leaders, Jamal Khattak, announced that they would fully participate in the lawyers’ convention on May 31. He added that the lawyers’ movement was dearer to them and would be part of the struggle for the restoration of judiciary.

“The lawyers belonging to PPP had rendered valuable sacrifices during the ongoing movement and those sacrifices could not be ignored,” Mr Afridi said adding scores of PPP members were killed in May 12 violence in Karachi and a bomb blast in Islamabad on July 17.

He said that they had completed arrangement for the convention and a meeting of senior lawyers would also be convened in that regard. He said that there should be unity among their ranks and files as all the major parties had agreed on the restoration of judges.

Nek Nawaz Khan of PML-N said that after the Pakistan movement the lawyers’ movement was the most important one as the future of the country was dependent on it. He criticised provincial law minister for his statement and said that Justice Chaudhry was hero of millions of people and did not need any protocol from the government.

Ghulam Nabi Khan also condemned the minister and said that he had occupied the official vehicle of the advocate general office which was purchased with the fund of Access to Justice Programme. He added that the honourable judges who had not taken oath under the PCO did not need any protocol.

PHCBA vice president Fida Gul and general secretary Essa Khan said that from Attock Bridge till Peshawar High Court rousing welcome would be given to the chief justice.

Protest Demonstration: The meeting was followed by a protest demonstration.

The protesting lawyers blocked the Sher Shah Suri Road for some time.

They chanted slogans against Musharraf and in favour of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Our correspondent adds from Mardan: The legal fraternity has condemned the statement of NWFP Minister for Law Arshad Abdullah wherein he refused to give official protocol to deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry during his proposed visit to Peshawar on May 31.

In this connection a meeting of Mardan Bar Association was held here on Thursday with its president Alamzeb Khan in the chair. More than 200 lawyers of the district courts attended the meeting and unanimously condemned the statement of provincial law minister. The meeting through a unanimously passed resolution demanded complete official protocol for Justice Chaudhry.

Speaking on the occasion, Peoples Lawyers Forum president Mushtaq Bacha said that he was asked by Masood Kosar that PLF members should follow party’s line but he opposed the suggestion and demanded full official protocol for the deposed chief justice.

Participants of the meeting said that even the then Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government had given official protocol to the chief justice when he visited Peshawar and Abbottabad. But now the government of ANP and PPPP was refusing to give official protocol to Justice Chaudhry, which was condemnable, they added.

The meeting also demanded immediate restoration of deposed judges and 1973 Constitution.

The meeting decided that lawyers of Mardan would reach Peshawar to welcome Justice Chaudhry on May 31. It suggested that delegations of various bars should visit foreign countries particularly Europe and the USA to apprise lawyers of those countries about the actual situation.The meeting lauded media for its role played during the lawyers’ struggle.

Later on lawyers staged a protest procession at Justice Chowk just opposite of the district courts where they raised full-throated slogans against Musharraf and demanded restoration of deposed judges.