September 12, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 11, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 11: The legal fraternity on Thursday observed their weekly boycott of court proceedings at the City Courts and the Malir District Courts in response to the Pakistan Bar Council’s standing call. The weekly protest is a part of the lawyers’ ongoing struggle for the reinstatement of all judges deposed following promulgation of the Nov 3, 2007 Provisional Constitution Order by former president Pervez Musharraf.

Under-trial prisoners were brought to the City Courts from different prisons by police but their cases could not be heard due to the boycott although judges were present in their respective chambers.

The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) held its general body meeting in the Shuhada-i-Punjab Hall of the City Courts where KBA leaders condemned the judges who took a fresh oath for their reinstatement. They said that the act of such judges would affect the lawyers’ struggle for the restoration of the independent judiciary. They vowed that the movement would continue till the reinstatement of all deposed judges, including Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

The lawyers slammed the PPP-led government for using delaying tactics in this regard and offering fresh appointment to the affected judges.

Meanwhile, a member of the People’s Lawyers’ Forum scuffled with KBA leader, Naeem Hashmi, when the latter criticised President Asif Ali Zardari for not reinstating all deposed judges. However, KBA officer-bearers intervened to prevent the situation from getting tense.

KBA vice-president Mushtaq Jehangiri, who was presiding over the meeting, condemned the incident, and said that the lawyers fraternity might initiate a fresh movement against the government if Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and all other deposed judges were not reinstated.