November 05, 2008	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 6, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 4: Lawyers will observe a ‘black day’ in the Sindh High Court on Wednesday to commemorate the siege of the SHC building by police and other agencies on Nov 5, 2007, when the judges deposed on the preceding Nov 3 were not allowed to enter the building and a number of protesting lawyers were arrested from within the premises.

SHC Bar Association President Rasheed A. Razvi on Tuesday said court proceedings would be boycotted and a joint general body meeting of the SHCBA and the Karachi and Malir bar associations would be held in the bar room, since renamed ‘Iftikhar Hall’ after the deposed chief justice of Pakistan.

SHCBA poll

Advocate Khwaja Naveed Ahmed, who was relieved as an additional judge of the SHC on Monday, has decided to contest the SHCBA presidential poll. He came to the bar room on Wednesday and was greeted by his friends, who filed his nomination papers. He will be pitted against the incumbent, Rasheed A. Razvi, who is seeking re-election. Advocate Ghulam Qadir Jatoi of the Islamic Lawyers Movement is also a candidate for the office.

The incumbent vice-president, secretary, joint secretary and treasurer, Z. K. Jatoi, Munirur Rahman, Meh Jabeen and M. Sarwar Khan, respectively, are re-contesting for the offices held by them. Five of the nine members of the current SHCBA managing committee are also seeking re-election. Sindh Bar Council member Salahuddin Khan Gandapur is in the field for the office of secretary.

The balloting is due to be held on Nov 22. The last date for filing nomination papers is Nov 6.