September 26, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 25, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 25: The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) boycotted legal proceedings at the City Courts and Malir District Courts on Thursday in line with the Pakistan Bar Council’s call for a weekly protest to press the government reinstate all those judges deposed by former president Gen Pervez Musharraf and restore the pre-Nov 3, 2007 judiciary.

Under-trial prisoners were brought to the City Courts police lockup for their production in different courts and judges also turned up to hear cases but proceedings could not be held as the protesting lawyers stayed away from the courts. The UTPs were ultimately sent back to their respective jails. The boycott also affected usual business and vending activities on the premises of the City Courts. Similar was the situation at the Malir District Courts.

Meanwhile, the KBA held its general body meeting in the Shuhada-i-Punjab Hall of the City Courts and reaffirmed its resolve to continue the ongoing struggle until the reinstatement of all deposed judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

KBA leaders speaking at the meeting also condemned the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) for its refusal to intensify the movement, and accused the PBC leadership of having adopted a pro-government approach. They said the lawyers community would follow the line of action decided by the recently-established National Coordination Committee, led by the Supreme Court Bar Association President, Aitzaz Ahsan.

The KBA leaders also slammed the PPP-led coalition government alleging that it was using “negative tactics” over the issue of deposed judges’ reinstatement.

The Malir Bar also held its general body meeting where its leaders expressed their determination to continue the movement till its success.