August 28, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 25, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 27: Lawyers and political parties team up today (Thursday) to halt traffic in city for two hours at noon in protest against what they call the government’s failure to restore deposed judges to the status they enjoyed before the imposition of emergency on Nov 3, 2007.

The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) have decided not to take out a joint rally and split up for the purpose of blocking two main roads — The Mall and The Lower Mall. Their decision to stage a sit-in on two separate places mirrors the execution of their warning to the government of a backlash in case it avoided restoring the deposed judges en bloc through a parliamentary resolution.

“The sit-in would be countrywide in line with the decision of the lawyers’ National Coordination Council,” LHCBA president Anwar Kamal told Dawn. He said the Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan would address the general house meeting of the LHCBA before the lawyers would embark upon their journey to block The Mall at Faisal Chowk.

Lawyers may not find themselves alone in their struggle for the deposed judges’ reinstatement as the PML-N — which recently broke up with the coalition government in the Centre — had made arrangements to participate in the protest.

While many feel the fresh oath to eight deposed judges of the Sindh High Court might ease the pressure of the movement, others feel that the PML-N’s pull out from the Centre would prove a thorn in PPP’s flesh.

“We have asked all our MPAs in Lahore to ensure their presence at the protest along with party workers,” PML-N Lahore general-secretary Mian Marghoob told Dawn.

He said a meeting took place on Wednesday on the directives of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif for coordination among party leaders and workers in the backdrop of making the best of the protest.

Workers of Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Pakhtoon Khawa Milli Awami Party, Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party, Khaksar Tehrik, Concerned Citizens of Pakistan and students are also poised to participate in the protest. “We will participate in the protest and set up a camp in Faisal Chowk,” said Students Action Committee member Sundus Hurnain.

Giving rationale behind continuing the protest, Kamal said the deposed judges of Sindh were not restored but given a new appointment through a fresh oath.

He said fresh oath meant that these judges had accepted the illegal and unconstitutional action of Nov 3, which had been incorporated in the Constitution under Article 270 AAA. “If they take oath under this Constitution, which stood adulterated with a controversial amendment, they tend to accept it as part of the Constitution,” he said.

“They (Sindh judges) deserve credit for rejecting oath under Nov 3 PCO on principle,” Mr Kamal said, “but would be seen to have reversed their stance under human frailty and weakness.”