LAHORE, May 7: The lawyers’ movement, what they say, for the revival of state institutions, begun after the regime made Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry ‘non-functional’ on March 9, has taken a radical turn making the fraternity rise above its petty interests in the bar politics.

The unparalleled unity has baffled many because this was the community which would stand depoliticised and seek vote in elections in the name of caste and clan and personal relationship. They rarely fought any election on the basis of national issues. But this time they want to remedy their not-so-enviable past.

Senior jurist Abid Hasan Minto says the bar politics has risen higher than inconsequential interests and it is bound to be ridden for years to come for higher objectives like ridding unconstitutional rule by undemocratic forces, restoration of constitution and other state institutions, rule of law and many other identical national issues.

“They (lawyers) will no longer talk of caste, friendship and other irrelevant interests. Since their movement has raised issues of national importance, they cannot deviate from them. This to me is a great step forward which has broken the political stalemate and once again shown the political parties the path of struggle,” said the senior lawyer.

Mr Minto says all the leading judges of the Lahore High Court’s hierarchy, including justices Khwaja Muhammad Sharif, Syed Zahid Husain and Mian Saqib Nisar, were present at the reception for the CJP in Lahore. “Their (the judges) participation has been more than what the lawyers were expecting and has given a new strength to their movement,” he said.

The bar and the bench have really shown solidarity with each other and the judiciary’s two wheels have now begun driving the vehicle in a balance.

“We hope that the judiciary will feel the power of the people and rise to the national cause. At the same time, the bar should also sustain what it has achieved by dint of its heroic and unparalleled struggle.”

Mr Minto says political parties should pick up the threads of lawyers’ movement if the things started slipping out of their hands.

Lahore High Court Bar Association President Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon says lawyers have always spearheaded democratic movements and the future of bar politics will depend on taking up national issues rather than talking of caste and personal relationship.

Lawyers SM Masood, Manzoor Ahmad Malik and Muhammad Ramzan Chaudhry, the chairperson of the Pakistan Bar Council’s Free Legal Aid Committee, said they felt that petty interests would no longer shape the future bar politics and all leaders of influential groups would have to rely on national issues and the cause of the people to sustain their identity.