August 01, 2008	Friday	Rajab 28, 1429

SUKKUR, July 31: Supreme Court Bar Association president Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said here on Thursday that the lawyers’ movement for the restoration of judges was “very near” to achieve its goal and that the sacrifice of Sukkur-based senior lawyer Imdad Ali Awan would not go in vain.

Aitzaz Ahsan was answering journalists’ questions at Imdad Awan’s residence, where he came along with deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Hamid Khan, and Athar Minallah to offer condolences to the bereaved family.

Mr Ahsan said that the countrywide struggle of lawyers for the supremacy of constitution and judiciary had been joined in by people of the country.

He recalled the mammoth public rallies which were taken out from Islamabad to Lahore, Abbotabad, Peshawar and other cities of the country in presence of the chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

He said it was the Sindh high court bar of Sukkur which had taken the lead in the lawyer’s struggle at the first stage as its president Imdad Ali Awan had extended invitation to the chief justice to address the bar on April 14, 2007.

After that, he said, the struggle gained momentum and observed that it was the pressure of the movement which forced the government to invite some deposed judges to once again take their posts.

He said that strategy of the government would once again fail as the people were conscious and they would never accept such a formula.

He paid homage to Imdad Awan for his marvellous contribution to the lawyer’s movement especially at Sindh level in organising the lawyer’s community of different bars in the province.

Mr Aitzaz said that though in his death the movement had suffered an irreparable loss, yet the journey would continue with vigour and spirit.