November 19, 2008	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 20, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 18: The Sindh High Court Bar Association decided on Tuesday to protest against ‘the political victimization’ of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Nov 20, the day the Supreme Court is due to hear their disqualification.

A statement signed by SHCBA president Rasheed A. Razvi, vice-president Z.K. Jatoi, secretary Munirur Rahman, joint secretary Tayyaba Jabeen, treasurer Sarwar Mohammad Khan and managing committee member Khalid Hameed said the association had always stood against victimization of political leaders irrespective of their party affiliation.

The association also stood against ‘the misuse of superior courts’ to sabotage the democratic process by disqualifying politicians.

“We strongly condemn this attempt by the vestiges of the dictatorship of Pervez Musharraf to sabotage the democratic process by trying to disqualify Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif”, the statement said.

The association stated that the attempt was a direct consequence the failure of the PPP-led government to restore the pre-November 3, 2007, judiciary.

Regardless of merits, “no Pakistani will accept the decision until such a decision is made by an independent judiciary and it is precisely for this reason that we urge the coalition government to restore the deposed judges without any further delay,” the statement further said.

It called upon the bar members to show solidarity with the democratic process by staging protest on Nov 20.