May 27, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1429

LAHORE, May 26: Lawyers have stepped up their protest after feeling that they were let down when the political parties could not restore the deposed judges even after promising it twice.

The protest camps set up on the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) premises too became alive after a large number of lawyers turned up there. On Monday, lawyers attended three strike camps — one set up by the LHCBA, second by the Save Judiciary Committee and the third by the Lahore Bar Association in Aiwan-i-Adal.

The LHCBA office-bearers too attended the protest camps and sought restoration of deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other superior courts judges. They boycotted court proceedings from 10:30 am to 12:30pm and after that they appeared before courts wearing black armbands. Black flags were also hoisted on the bar premises.

The protesting lawyers asked the government to take immediate steps for restoration of the pre-Nov 3, 2007 judiciary before their proposed long march without further disappointing the nation. LHCBA secretary Rana Asadullah said a movement was brewing like that of the lawyers’ post-March 9, 2007 movement.

VIOLATION: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Monday displayed the names of 21 of its members who violated the Pakistan Bar Council’s call to boycott last Thursday’s proceedings before the judges appointed under the Provisional Constitution Order of Nov 3, 2007.

The lawyers include Punjab Bar Council member Chaudhry Wilayat, ex-LHCBA secretary Muzammal Akhter Shabbir, Saleem Chichi, Hafiz Hanif Zafar, Sayed Ijaz Anwar, Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Chaudhry Basit, Ziaullah Niazi, Shahid Iqbal Qureshi, Sultan Mehmood Ahmed Dar, Rana Suhail Ashraf, Imtiaz Ahmed Khan, Kanwar Ahmed Saeed, Chaudhry Imtiaz Bajwa, Rai Tariq Saleem, Khalil Maan, Rana Akhter Ali, Mian Waseem Ahmed, Khuram, Sheikh Sakhawat Ali and Amanat Ali Bukhari.

The bar employees had to display the lists of these members on different notice boards twice, after the lawyers tore down the list displayed in the first instance.

LHCBA secretary Rana Asadullah said the list of violators would be displayed till next Thursday on a regular basis.