ISLAMABAD, Nov 13: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Tuesday decided to continue the boycott of the superior courts till the restoration of the pre-emergency judiciary.

“The boycott will continue unless the real and constitutional judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts return to resume their constitutional duties and functions,” a resolution passed at a meeting of the council said. According to a press release, the meeting was presided over by PBC Vice-Chairman Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig.

The meeting decided that the strike and boycott of the subordinate courts would continue for at least an hour a day. The one-hour strike is the minimum call of the Pakistan Bar Council.

However, the provincial bar councils and bar associations are free to observe strike for more than one hour if they decide to do so. Members of the district bar associations were asked to look after the lawyers detained in jails in their areas.

The meeting praised the community for standing united against the dictatorial rule and martial law in the guise of emergency rule. Members of the bar throughout Pakistan were called upon to continue their movement with greater vigour and determination for restoration of the Constitution, reinstatement of independent judges and ouster of military regime and its effects like PCO, emergency and PCO judges.

The meeting expressed the fear that the Musharraf regime and the intelligence agencies wanted to get approval of the emergency and the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) from the PCO judges.