PESHAWAR: Lawyers on Thursday boycotted courts in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the ongoing political crisis due to the PTI and PAT sit-ins against the federal government in Islamabad and said they would stand by democratic institutions against unconstitutional steps by any state institution.

The call for strike was given by the Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association.

In Peshawar, lawyers didn’t appear before courts.

Also, senior lawyers at a seminar unanimously passed a resolution saying they would not hesitate from rendering any sacrifice to save democratic system and supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law.

They said PTI and PAT should follow the Constitution and avoid taking unconstitutional steps otherwise democracy could derail.

Say PTI, PAT should follow Constitution otherwise democracy could derail

The seminar on ‘1973 Constitution and challenges faced by the country’ was organised by Mir Khalilur Rehman Memorial Society, where senior lawyers including former vice chairman of PBC Abdul Lateef Afridi, former judge of Peshawar High Court Khalid Mehmood, president of PHC Bar Association Essa Khan, secretary general Ayaz Khan, Peshawar Bar Association general secretary Taimoor Ali Shah, Fata Lawyers Forum president Ijaz Mohmand, ex-additional advocate general Naveed Akhtar, Mussaratullah Khan and Babar Yousafzai delivered speeches.

The speakers proposed that the political parties resolve their differences through negotiations otherwise the fragile democratic system would be adversely affected and the adventurous forces would take benefit of the situation.

Lateef Afridi said the country was already confronted with several problems and the sit-ins started by PTI and PAT had resulted in political instability.

He said the parties had the right of freedom of association and expression but they had to take care of the rights of other people and should avoid making unconstitutional demands.

He said the tactics adopted by the two parties for removing an elected government were unjustified as changing an elected government through such measures would set a very dangerous precedent.

“Tomorrow any political party or organisation will gather hundreds of people and stage a sit-in to demand an elected government,” he said.

Essa Khan said lawyers would oppose any unconstitutional step taken by any state institution.

He said the government had mishandled the situation as it should have given serious thought to the demands of Imran Khan on election rigging.

The lawyer said no one supported the killings of PAT workers in Lahore and that the police should register an FIR against them. He said while there was no real democracy in the country, lawyers would stand by democratic institutions.

Ijaz Mohmand said on one hand, millions of tribesmen were turned IDPs and on the other a power tussle was going on in Islamabad in total disregard of the plight of tribal people.

Other speakers said the Constitution had clearly spelled out the role of every institution and no one should overstep its limits.

In Abbottabad and Havelian, too, lawyers went on strike on the call of the Pakistan Bar Council and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council against the PTI and PAT sit-ins in Islamabad.

Member of Pakistan Bar Council Fazal-i-Haq Abbasi said lawyers would never allow anyone to play with the Constitution and democratic institutions.

He said lawyers didn’t support any political party or the government and instead, they wanted the political issues to be settled in parliament.

Abbasi urged Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri to sort out the issue in line with the Constitution. He said lawyers would resist any constitutional action in the country.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014