LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Friday announced convening an all Pakistan lawyers’ representative convention to devise its future strategy to make Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif tender resignation in the wake of the Panamagate verdict.

“We have no political agenda but want to make Pakistan a corruption free country,” LHCBA President Ch Zulfiqar Ali told a press conference. He was accompanied by Vice President Rashid Lodhi, Secretary Amir Saeed Rawn and Finance Secretary Zaheer Butt.

Mr Ali said they had decided to host an all Pakistan lawyers’ representative convention on May 13 since the bar’s one-week ultimatum for the resignation issued to the prime minister stood lapsed. He said there would be a revolution in the country after May 13. He claimed that all bar councils and associations in the country had a consensus on the demand of the prime minister’s resignation. “There is no division in the legal fraternity,” he added.

Mr Ali pointed out that not a single bar association in the country had passed a resolution in favour of the prime minister after the Panama papers case judgement.

Responding to critics of the LHCBA’s demand for PM’s resignation, VP Lodhi said it was a lame excuse that the apex court did not ask the PM to step down before facing the probe of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT). “The court is not supposed to say all the things,” he added.

He said the investigation into the Panamagate could not be fair and impartial unless the prime minister appeared before the JIT as a common man. He said Nawaz Sharif should honour the democratic values by resigning from his office.

Secretary Rawn said PM Sharif had become a risk to the country’s security criticizing the government for giving a state protocol to Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal. He alleged that Jindal was an Indian agent and secretly met the PM to strike a deal on Kalbhushan Jhadav.

He claimed that the prime minister would have no way out except to step down once the LHCBA launched its movement.

Responding to a question about validity of the bar’s cabinet decisions without an endorsement by a general house, Mr Rawn said, “We have been elected by thousands of lawyers with a mandate to lead them.”

The Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Bar Association have already supported the LHCBA’s demand for the prime minister’s resignation but they are yet to decide on launching any movement.

PBC Vice Chairman Ahsan Bhoon says any decision on initiating a movement against the prime minister will be taken after a thorough deliberation and consultation with all the stakeholders.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2017