ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members in National Assembly wore black bands to protest the November 03, 2007 imposition of emergency by former President General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf.

In the onset of his speech in the House, Leader of the Opposition, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan declared November 03 as a ‘Black Day’ in the country’s history.

PML-N leader MNA Aftab Sheikh distributed bands among the members when Chaudhry Nisar was speaking on the imposition of the emergency.

The PML-N members tied bands to one another as the House exploited the private members day to criticize imposition of the emergency and former President Pervez Musharraf.

Later, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan invited the political forces to join them in a protest walk from the Parliament House to the Supreme Court building.

Carrying placards with slogans for independence of judiciary as well as the parliament, the PML-N MNAs raised slogans against former President Musharraf.

Women MPs were also vocal as they participated in the walk which looked symbolic rather than being serious as most of the MNAs were in a lax mood.

The legislators looked more interested in getting themselves snapped by photographers while some PML-N leaders kept asking their colleagues to be sober.

Interestingly, PML-N MNA Zahid Hamid, who was Minister for Law and Justice when emergency was promulgated by Musharraf, also took part in the walk. However, he kept mum during the entire protest.

Talking to APP, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan said he had joined the walk to denounce the November 3 incidents.

‘There were three Black Days in our history - July 5, 1977; 12th October 1999; and November 3, 2007, as two military dictators had breached the Constitution and subverted the elected governments of the country on these days,’ he added.

Addressing the participants of the walk, PML-N leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said that the party would carry on the struggle till the repeal of 17th Amendment, sovereignty of the parliament and the country would be cleansed from terrorism. He said his party and its leadership reiterates its resolve to fight for its mission. He also showered praise for the judges who struggled against the dictator.

Lawyers observe ‘Black Day’

Across the country, lawyers observed a ‘Black Day’ to protest November 3, 2007 imposition of emergency by Musharraf.

The lawyers’ bodies in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Tuesday observed token protests to condemn the unconstitutional steps of Musharraf for declaring emergency in the country by imposing curbs on the judiciary and the media.

Office bearers of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bar Association and Islamabad Bar Association held a brief demonstration at District Courts Islamabad where the speakers highlighted the struggle for the restoration of deposed judges.

Similarly, lawyers’ bodies including Lahore High Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association, Balochistan High Court Bar Association, Peshawar High Court Bar Association, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bar and other allied bodies also observed the token black day.

They held demonstrations and gatherings to denounce the imposition of the emergency, suspension of human rights and removal of Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry by Musharraf.

It may be mentioned here that the government restored the deposed judges in March this year resulting in an end to the two-year long struggle by lawyers, civil society and political forces.—APP