June 25, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1429

KARACHI, June 24: The legal fraternity on Tuesday criticized the Lahore High Court decision to bar Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif from contesting the June 26 by-election and announced a complete boycott of legal proceedings on Wednesday at subordinate courts to express solidarity with the PML-N leader.

Speaking at an urgently-called general body meeting of the Karachi Bar Association, at the City Courts, the lawyers alleged that some political elements were behind the decision due to Mr Sharif’s clear stance on the reinstatement of the deposed judges.

The president of Karachi Bar Association, Mahmood-ul-Hasan, said it was an astonishing decision that a twice-elected prime minister who had also been declared as eligible to contest the 2002 general election was declared disqualified in 2007-08, adding that the rulers were trying to achieve their political objectives through the PCO judges.

He said people who had looted the national wealth and then got protection under the so-called National Reconciliation Ordinance claimed that the slogan of ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makan’ had earned them the mandate in the Feb 18 elections, but in fact the people had given them the mandate for an independent judiciary while ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makan’ was a mere slogan.

The KBA chief said parliament was backing Pervez Musharraf. Referring to a major partner of the ruling coalition, he alleged that people who had supported the lawyers’ movement before polls and came to power after the Feb 18 elections were behind the decision of Mr Sharif’s disqualification.

He said the sovereignty of parliament could not be possible without an independent judiciary, and vowed to continue the ongoing struggle for the rule of law, supremacy of the constitution and independence of the judiciary.

“An ‘All Pakistan lawyers convention’ will be held on July 19 at Lahore to discuss the future course of action and we will besiege the Zardari House, Bilawal House and Parliament House if necessary”, he said.

Nihal Hashmi termed the LHC decision a shameful act and said the PCO judges must be charged under Article 6 of the Constitution since they in collaboration with Pervez Musharraf, had violated and illegally amended the constitution.

Maqbool-ur-Rahman criticised the recent announcement of the prime minister to convert death sentences into life imprisonment and said it was against the injunctions of the Islamic laws.

He said only the legal heirs of the victims could pardon the offender and the state had nothing to do in this regard. He said the announcement was made to forgo the death penalty of Indian prisoner Sarabjeet Singh.

Later addressing a press conference, the general secretary of the Karachi Bar Association, Naeem Qureshi, criticized the decision against Nawaz Shairf and announced a complete boycott of legal proceedings at the City Courts and Malir district courts to express solidarity with the PML-N.