RAWALPINDI, Jan 17: Lawyers here on Thursday at a meeting of High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) resolved to continue complete boycott of the judges who took oath under the provisional constitutional order defying the decision of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC). They Denounced the PBC decision and vowed not to appear before the judges who took unconstitutional oath.

The meeting was called to pass a resolution to ask PBC to review its decision of limiting the boycott of PCO judges only once in a week every Thursday and an hour a day.

But the lawyers in their speeches termed the PBC decision against the spirit of lawyers’ movement and contradicts the decision of Lawyers National Action Committee (LNAC), consisting of PBC, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), four provincial bar councils, all high court bar associations and prominent district bar associations. LNAC in its January 13 meeting upheld the idea of continuous boycott.

Former Vice President SCBA and senior lawyer Mohammad Ikram Chaudhry presented the resolution asking PBC to immediately resume complete boycott of the PCO judges and call a meeting of LNAC within a week. The resolution was unanimously passed by lawyers coming from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jehlum.

The resolution also contained that if the proposed meeting of the LNAC was not held, HCBA Rawalpindi would hold a lawyers convention to work out a strategy to continue boycott of all Supreme Court and high court judges.

The resolution asked PBC and all bar associations to cancel the memberships of those PBC members who voted for the end of boycott as it amounted to giving legitimacy to the PCO judges. Moreover the decision was taken without consulting the arrested leaders of the legal fraternity.

The resolution reiterated the stance of the lawyers that the sacked judges are still the judges of the SC and high courts and Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry chief justice of Pakistan. It demanded reinstatement of all deposed judges, release of all arrested lawyers, return of true democracy and restoration of 1973 constitution to its pre-October 12, 1999 form. The resolution also sought the trial of President Musharraf under Article six and said his resignation was indispensable for free and fair general elections.

Speaking on the occasion other lawyers also criticized the decision of PBC and vowed to strive for the rule of law and independence of judiciary.