June 04, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29, 1429

LAHORE, June 3: The coordination committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Tuesday announced a protest plan for the restoration of the judiciary, ahead of lawyers’ much-touted long march to begin on June 10.

The SCBA body also demanded the government declare the imposition of emergency on Nov 3 as unconstitutional.

According to the protest plan, lawyers, traders, political and human activists, students and civil society members will take out a rally on June 5 and June 6 from Data Sahib to Nasser Bagh.

On June 7, lawyers will take out a rally around the city and on June 8 a protest will be organised before Governor’s House. On June 9, a torch-bearing protest would be organised.

On June 10, a mobilisation committee will take out caravans of masses around the city. On June 11, (deposed) Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry will address the bar in Lahore.

The coordination committee will display banners and posters in favour of long march from June 7 to June 11 all over the city.

The committee also rejected the constitutional package prepared by the Pakistan People’s Party, calling it a ploy to delay the restoration of judges. The committee said the judges could have been restored through an executive order because they were not removed lawfully.

The committee said the package would have been justified, had the judges been removed constitutionally.

Khateeb issue: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the Auqaf department chief administrator to form a board to settle the appointment issue of ‘khateeb’ of Data Darbar mosque.

The court handed down the directions while disposing of a petition, challenging the appointment of Mian Saleemullah as khateeb of the mosque. Maulana Qari Mohammad

Arif Sialvi had challenged the appointment of Mian Saleem.

Mr Sialvi said he was working as a provisional khateeb in the department but was ignored for the appointment for the khateeb of the mosque. Mian Saleem was appointed illegally because he had no experience of khateeb as required by the law, he added. Sialvi said Mian Saleem was recruited as a lecturer in the department in 1988 and at present he has been promoted as deputy director (religious affairs).

He said Mian Saleem never served as a khateeb anywhere and had been performing administrative duties with the department.

He said the appointment of Mian Saleem was discriminatory and in violation of the declared policy of the department.