September 19, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 18, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: A panicky administration placed the Supreme Court under virtual siege here on Thursday in a botched attempt to block a handful of lawyers protesting briefly for “the independence of judiciary” in what looked disturbingly like a show from the past.

The city administration as well as the police were so unnerved by the lawyers’ plan to organise a protest rally on Thursday to boycott proceedings inside the Supreme Court that they started cordoning off the area by laying multiple rolls of barbed wires as well as the cement blocks since dawn.

“I am here guarding the apex court since Sehri and only God knows when I will be relieved from duty in this month of Ramazan,” confided a disgusted police constable on condition of anonymity.

Only less than a dozen lawyers’ and representatives of Awami Jamhoori Ittehad (AJI) managed to surface outside the Supreme Court to protest against the government that is dragging its feet on the reinstatement of the senior judges, especially deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Today’s attempt by the lawyers, who are staging protests throughout the country on Thursdays, was first of its kind to boycott the proceedings in the Supreme Court.

The police arrested and “tortured” the AJI members but released them in the evening when some representatives of the non-governmental organisation protested outside the Aabpara police station.

The Constitution Avenue from the Radio Pakistan intersection to the D-Chowk as well as the Pakistan Television was completely barricaded and nobody was allowed to enter the area, though a few senior lawyers especially those belonging to the ruling coalition were permitted to go after proving that they had to appear before the court. Even senior government officers were seen begging police constables to let them go to attend important meetings.

“I have a scheduled meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari and am already late,” a senior government officer pleaded after which he was allowed to move.

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Secretary Chaudhry Amin Javed and Islamabad Bar Association President Haroonur Rashid meanwhile announced to continue the ongoing movement till the cherished goal of the reinstatement of all the deposed judges was achieved.

They also condemned the so-called democratic government, which according to them was continuation of former president Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship and declared the fresh oath by some senior judges as the fruit of their 17-month long epic struggle for the independence of judiciary.

Later while talking to reporters, Law Minister Farooq H. Naek brushed aside the impression that the government was creating hurdles in the reinstatement of some judges and said the government would welcome all those who were willing to take fresh oath.

“It is not the correct way to deal with a difficult situation that the gates of the apex court should be closed and the lawyers and litigants are put to immense difficulties,” observed a senior advocate Naseer Ahmad Chaudhry, who entered the premises with great difficulty.

Today, he deplored, a large number of policemen were seen wielding batons in the lobbies and courtyard of the apex court. A better way is needed to be found to bring about reconciliation between the bench and the bar, he emphasised while giving a word of advice to the protesting lawyers to think over that the clients and their brother lawyers also suffered without sufficient reason on account of those with whom they differ.“It is about time that the entire bar goes in conciliatory mode by doing away with the path of agitation,” he observed.

APP ADDS: The Supreme Court on Thursday conducted normal proceedings despite a call by lawyers to boycott courts to protest against the lingering issue of deposed judges.

A large number of lawyers appeared before the four benches in various cases fixed for the day. Tight security was in place around the court premises.