LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) will launch a formal movement after Eidul Fitr to make Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif tender resignation as its seven-day ultimatum issued to the premier for stepping down in the wake of the Panama Papers verdict lapsed on Saturday.

During Ramazan, the Bar would continue with its limited protest every Thursday as resolved at the May 20 lawyers’ representative convention, LHCBA Vice President Rashid Lodhi told the media.

“We are not going to spare the PM until he tenders his resignation,” he made it clear.

There will be weekly protest in Ramazan

He said the National Action Committee (NAC) constituted by the convention would convene its first meeting after Eid to chalk out a strategy to make the prime minister resign from his office and facilitate a fair investigation by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) into the allegations of financial misappropriation arising out of Panama Papers.

Mr Lodhi insisted that the JIT would not be able to deliver independent and transparent findings unless PM Sharif appeared before it like an ordinary citizen. He said the Bar had provided the PM with a dignified way to distance him from the power but he failed to grab the opportunity.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the LHCBA office-bearers said the demand for the prime minister’s resignation was constitutional and democratic right of the legal fraternity.

The LHCBA had hosted the May 20 convention in collaboration with the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to press for the demand of the premier’s resignation. The convention had faced disruption when members of the PML-N lawyers’ faction attacked the conference hall and took control of the stage.

Taking action against alleged attackers and saboteurs of the convention, the LHCBA had recently cancelled membership of Punjab Governor Rafiq Rajwana and also banned his entry to the Bar accusing him of hatching a conspiracy against the lawyers’ unity.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2017