September 26, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 25, 1429

LAHORE, Sept 25: A war of slogans between two groups of lawyers spoiled the pre-rally general house meeting of the Lahore Bar Association here on Thursday.

A group of PPP-affiliated lawyers made no bones about abusing deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry while others resorted to slogans against President Asif Ali Zardari. The rostrum and some microphones were damaged during the pandemonium.

The disturbance started well before the meeting bagan. As the LBA office-bearers entered the hall, slogans in favour of the deposed chief justice broke out. Seeing this, the members of the People’s Lawyers Forum, a lawyers’ wing affiliated with the PPP, used indecorous language for Iftikhar Chaudhry.

This prompted slogans against President Zardari and Sardar Latif Khan Khosa. After a while Latif Sarra adjourned the meeting, but none of the lawyers moved out for the rally until the power supply was cut off.

“Although we were more in numbers, we did not indulge in a scuffle,” said former Lahore Bar Association president Syed Mohammad Shah.

A press statement issued by the Khosa Law Chambers claimed that a resolution condemning LBA Secretary Latif Sarra was carried unanimously after it was placed before the house in the presence of vice-president Qamar Shahid and secretary Shahid Mayo. Qamar Shahid and Mayo said the resolution was not on the agenda and was fixed for Monday.

Despite the bitter episode, the LBA took out a rally and staged a brief sit-in in front of the PMG (Post Master General) crossing. Advocate Mohammad Anwar Ghuman said the lawyers should not have asked for an executive order for the restoration of the deposed judges.

He believed that the demand unnecessarily prolonged the matter and allowed the PPP government to lure the deposed judges into accepting the offer of re-appointment. He lamented that the judges accepted the offer and criticised President Asif Ali Zardari.

Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Hamid Khan said the lawyers’ demanded executive order for the restoration of the deposed judges because they wanted protection for them. When the lawyers started the movement, he said, their agenda was to ensure supremacy of the constitution, rule of law and freedom of judiciary.

Mr Khan said Iftikhar Chaudhry was Pakistan’s Nelson Mandela for standing for the independence of judiciary and the just cause. He predicted surge in the movement after Eid.

Former Lahore High Court Bar Association president Ahmad Awais said generals, judges and politicians should by no means disregard the dictates of the constitution. He added that the lawyers would never let Gen Musharraf (retired) go scot-free and hold him accountable for violating the constitution whenever they got the chance.

Lahore High Court Bar Association President Anwar Kamal said a dictator usurped power because of the rampant lawlessness in the country. The lawyers’ movement was against lawlessness and dictatorship, he added.

“We neither allowed a dictator to indulge in lawlessness nor would we allow the PPP to do so,” he said, drawing thundering round of applause from the house. Mr Kamal said “we talk about the remnants of the Zia regime, but we should check the continuation of Musharraf’s rule as well”.

Later, dozens of lawyers took out a rally from the main gate of the Lahore High Court to the Charing Cross in front of the Punjab Assembly’s building. Workers of the PML-N and the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf were conspicuous by their absence.

A few activists of the Jamaat-i-Islami, the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party, the Labour Party and the Tehrik-i-Khaksar accompanied the lawyers.