LAHORE, June 10: The All-Pakistan Lawyers Convention here on Saturday criticised the military regime for, what it said, undermining the federation and state institutions. It demanded that Pervez Musharraf should step down to pave the way for elections under an interim government of national consensus.

In a strongly-worded resolution, adopted unanimously at the convention sponsored by the Pakistan Bar Council, the lawyer representatives from across the country also demanded cessation of ‘military action’ in Balochistan and Waziristan, observing that the militarisation of two important provinces had jeopardised the federation.

PBC vice-chairperson Ali Ahmad Kurd presided over the convention, which observed that the military dictatorship and democracy could not co-exist and it was in the best national interest that the armed forces should go back to barracks to leave the country’s governance to the elected representatives.

The resolution demanded the return of the Bugtis, the Marris and the Mengals who had left their areas in Balochistan in the wake of the operation. It said the people of Balochistan and other federating units should be the ultimate beneficiaries of their natural resources and they must have administrative control over the resources, including mega projects like the Gwadar Port.

The members of the Pakistan Bar Council, the members and vice-chairpersons of all the provincial bar councils, office-bearers of high court and district bar associations from all over the country attended the convention. They spoke against the armed forces whom they held responsible for the present turmoil in the country. However, the leadership of the Supreme Court Bar Association was conspicuous by its absence.

Read the resolution: “Gen Musharraf’s seeking re-election as president from the assemblies is unconstitutional and can’t be accepted.” It condemned the ruling party for making this demand and observed that such an unconstitutional plea could not be taken by an organisation, which called it a political party.

It further said the lawyers could not countenance persecution of the exiled political leadership and allowing the ‘King’s Party’ a free hand like the unilateral referendum. If the next election was held in the absence of the popular leadership, it would be a political catastrophe and further erosion of a democratic order, the resolution stated.

The convention also rejected the proposal to establish a federal high court and a federal commercial court in Islamabad and the segregation of high courts in constitutional, commercial, criminal and civil divisions. Such a scheme, they said, was unconstitutional and against the independence of the judiciary.

The resolution said the government should adopt the legal reforms and recommendations proposed by the Pakistan Bar Council in matters relating to the appointment and discipline of judges.