June 24, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 19, 1429

SIALKOT, June 23: Lawyers at a divisional convention held by the District Bar Association (DBA) at Anwaar Club here on Monday rejected the increase in the number of Supreme Court judges from 16 to 29 by the federal government while expressing confidence over the leadership of Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and urging him to continue spearheading the lawyers’ movement.

They also pledged to leave no stone unturned for the reinstatement of deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other superior courts judges to pave the way for independent judiciary.

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Aitzaz Ahsan was the chief guest at the convention attended by thousands of lawyers from Gujranwala division’s six districts.

MNA Khwaja Muhammad Asif of the PML-N and Advocate Athar Minallah, who is considered to be the spokesperson of chief justice Iftikhar, also attended the convention.

Addressing the convention, Aitzaz said the lawyer community’s unshakeable unity and faith in leadership had rejuvenated the drive for the establishment of rule of law, supremacy of the Constitution and independence of the judiciary.

He said the SCBA would soon host an international conference of jurists in Islamabad and Chief Justice Iftikhar would preside over this event. He said that all bar associations would stage a three-hour sit-in in front of important public places on every Thursday till the reinstatement of pro-Nov 3, 2007, judiciary.

He said the reinstatement of deposed judges was indispensable for the establishment of rule of law and provision of expeditious justice to masses.

He said the decision of not staging the sit-in in front of Parliament House after the long march was absolutely a judicious one, as this had inculcated a positive political sense among the masses.

Despite the long march, Aitzaz said, the parliament and President Musharraf did not respect the aspirations of the masses with regard to the reinstatement of deposed judges.

He said the six-day long march had galvanised people from all strata of society and demonstrated the nation’s anxiety over the judges’ restoration. He warned that people might lose their sangfroid if the matter of restoration of judges was stretched further.

He said the lawyers’ leadership fully respected the sentiments of young lawyers, who wanted a sit-in, but this could have created problems for such a big crowd, including families.

He said the legal fraternity would not let President Musharraf flee, as his time to leave the presidency was nearing due to lawyers’ rigorous struggle.

“President Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz are killers of the judiciary and both had attacked the judiciary to cover their crimes,” he alleged.

He said the government had failed to take any decision in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Pakistan they had expressed through the Feb 18 general election.

He saluted the entire nation for its commitment and support to the legal fraternity for waging the restoration and independence of judiciary campaign.