KARACHI, April 21: The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) on Saturday claimed to have gained the support of many political parties and civil society organisations for participation in the April 24 procession -- to be led by lawyers -- from City Courts at 10am, and said that the mode of protest would be announced at the right time.

KBA General Secretary Naeem Qureshi told this reporter that leader of the opposition in Senate Raza Rabbani, Amir Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi Dr Meraj-ul-Huda Siddiqui, Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Tariq Khan and Secretary Alliance for Restoration of Democracy Zain Ansari have already assured the support of their parties and would participate in the lawyers’ ‘historic’ procession, being taken out to protest the suspension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

He said various political parties, including the ARD, were holding meetings of their respective supreme councils and would also discuss the matter with lawyers to decide a future line of action. For the time being, he did not disclose the route of the procession, saying that it would be decided in a meeting with leaders of various parties and organisations.

Lawyers in the City Courts stayed away from court proceedings from 10.30am to 11.30am and gathered in front of the City Courts, where a general body meeting was held. General Secretary of Sindh High Court Bar Association Munir-ur-Rehman, former General Secretary of SHCBA Moin Azhar Siddiqui, Naeem Qureshi and others spoke on the occasion.

Speakers appreciated the role played by their colleagues during the campaign and said that no

organisation had so far shown unity in such a well-disciplined manner as the lawyers had. They especially lauded the efforts of women lawyers for their enthusiastic participation in the protest processions and token hunger strikes at different courts of the metropolis.

They said political parties had time and again offered their support to lawyers, but lawyers had preferred not to let them join their processions. They said lawyers were in a better position to teach the rulers a lesson for violating the constitution.

Fourteen women members of the KBA observed a token hunger strike at the City Courts, while four members of the Malir Bar Association (MBA) also observed hunger strike.

Meanwhile, Justice (r) Syed Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, on the invitation of the MBA, visited the bar and spoke to lawyers. He said that good relations between the bench and the bar were a must for the judicial system and provision of easy justice to the people.

SBC CONDEMNS: The Sindh Bar Council has condemned threats to the President, Supreme Court Bar Association Munir A. Malik and Vice-Chairman Pakistan Bar Council Ali Ahmed Kurd by some quarters on telephone and termed it a most cowardly act.