September 24, 2008	Wednesday	Ramazan 23, 1429

HYDERABAD, Sept 23: The high court and district bar associations on Tuesday boycotted courts for an hour to observe Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry Day in an expression of solidarity with the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan.

They staged a rally led by the High Court Bar Association president Abdul Sattar Qazi, Ayaz Hussain Tunio and Abdul Rehman Shaikh. The rally participants held deposed CJ’s portraits in their hands as they raised slogans in his support.

Mr Qazi said that Choudhry was a symbol of independence of judiciary and unless he was reinstated, justice would not be done. He opposed the proposal for reducing the tenure of chief justice and termed it a conspiracy against the country.

A spokesman for the bar, Sultan Shaikh, said that people recognised only Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry as the CJ and the lawyers’ community and civil society would launch a strong movement after Eidul Fitr for his reinstatement.

In Nawabshah, DBA members boycotted court proceedings for three hours to observe Iftikhar Day. A general body meeting presided over by DBA President Ali Mohammad Dahiri condemned the government plan to create rifts among lawyers.

They said that the judges were not reinstated in the manner as was promised by the government, hence the lawyers’ movement would continue till the restoration of deposed CJ.