ISLAMABAD, July 27: The Pakistan Bar Council has decided to convene a meeting of all political parties on Aug 17 in Lahore to launch a joint struggle against the proposed constitutional packages.

A decision to this effect was taken at the 139th meeting of the PBC held here on Saturday at the Supreme Court building.

The lawyers body is seriously considering launching a country-wide protest campaign against changes in the electoral rules and introduction of Political Parties Order, which it said, were designed to achieve desired results in the coming elections.

Briefing newsmen about the decisions taken at the meeting, the lawyers representatives said the PBC had rejected both the proposed constitutional amendment packages and had resolved that Gen Pervez Musharraf had no authority to amend the Constitution.

The authority to amend the Constitution vested with the parliament alone, they said.

The PBC office-bearers also demanded immediate removal of the Chief Election Commissioner, as they claimed the CEC had lost all credibility after holding a “rigged referendum”. “With him in the office, no free, fair, impartial or transparent election can be held,” they observed.

They also demanded that a man of credibility like Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim, Ajmal Mian or Zafar Hussain Mirza should be appointed in place of the present CEC.

The PBC leaders alleged that to get favourable verdicts the government was surreptitiously offering judges extension in retirement age. They said that the PBC was of the considered view that the lawyers would not accept or countenance any interference or change in the age of retirement of the judges of the superior courts.

The PBC also demanded that all the transfers and posting of officers responsible for administration made after May 1, 2002, be cancelled forthwith.

The lawyers alleged that 37 officers had been transferred alone in the Larkana district.

The briefing was attended by President Supreme Court Bar Association Hamid Ali Khan, Vice-Chairman PBC Ashraf Wahla, Chairman Executive Committee PBC Abdul Haleem Pirzada, member executive committee PBC Rab Nawaz Noon and Rai Nawaz Kharal.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court Bar Association (Rawalpindi) organized an All Pakistan Lawyers convention which adopted a resolution rejecting the plan to set up National Security Council and move to amend 1973 Constitution through proposed constitutional amendments.

The convention said the lawyer’s movement for the restoration of Constitution and democracy in Pakistan should be further strengthened through close cooperation. They also resolved that Gen Musharraf must leave the job of amendments to the next parliament.

The convention also demanded immediate removal of the CEC. They said in case October elections were not held in a fair and transparent manner, the federation would suffer an irreparable loss.