ONE of the few good things in our recent past is the role of our lawyers in the restoration of an independent judiciary.

Since this restoration a rowdy group of young lawyers have started taking the law into their own hands and have got carried away with their self-presumed new powers.

What they have forgotten is that it was the character of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and his brother judges, who stood up to pressure and intimidation of a military dictator, dared to defy him and that is what gave strength to the movement.

For eight long years Musharraf ruled like a dictator while before him Zia abused this country for 11 years.

While the lawyers, judges and even a few media barons either became partners in subversion of the Constitution, or chose to remain silent and thrive in their practices, in a country where the law itself was captive to individual agendas and whims.

The rise in trend to resort to violence in Punjab within the premises of sessions courts, high courts and other lower courts by a few lawyers has become a hindrance to the law itself.

The brutal manner in which two lawyers of Gujrat stoned to death a local businessman is as worse as the brutal killing by a mob of two innocent brothers near Sialkot.

Threats of intimidation by a few lawyers in the Lahore sessions court against a few women lawyers and other litigants are a cause for concern.

SHAHZAD KHALIL
Sialkot