PESHAWAR, June 18: The lawyers observed boycott of courts here on Monday to show solidarity with the judiciary and Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, resolving to foil any conspiracy hatched against the superior judiciary.

A joint meeting of Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) and Peshawar District Bar Association (PDBA) unanimously adopted a resolution stating that they wouldn’t tolerate anyone to defame and ridicule Supreme Court of Pakistan and Chief Justice of Pakistan.

The meeting, chaired by PHCBA president Abdul Lateef Afridi, appreciated Supreme Court for passing a right order in the suo moto case of Dr Arsalan Iftikhar and referring the case to government for inquiry.

“We demand that an impartial and independent inquiry should be conducted into allegations of Malik Riaz against Dr Arsalan. If the accusations are found correct, both should be punished according to law,” the resolution said.

The meeting condemned few journalists and anchors, who allegedly attempted to malign and insult the judiciary during the entire episode. The fact that they had accepted bribes and illegal gratifications was also condemnable, it said.

On the call of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council the lawyers remained away from courts. Black flags were hoisted on the buildings of PHC and Judicial Complex. The posters of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and PHC Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan were displayed at different points.

The resolution said that the meeting didn’t subscribe to and approve ban on lawyers, imposed by various bar associations, for appearing in certain cases as the law of the land and the Constitution did not provide for such a restriction and intolerance.

The meeting was addressed by Lateef Afridi, PHCBA secretary general Qazi Jawad Ahsanullah, president of PDBA Wakeel Zaman Khattak, its secretary general Shah Faisal Utmankhel, Barrister Baachaa, Essa Khan, Ayaz Khan, Mohim Afridi, Ghulam Nabi, Moazam Butt and others.

Mr Afridi said that the sacrifices rendered by lawyers during the movement for restoration of judiciary were evident to all.

He said that their movement was not for an individual but for the independence of judiciary.

He said that the conspiracies hatched against judiciary were condemnable. Mr Afridi added that lawyers were capable of foiling those conspiracies. He lauded the Supreme Court order of conducting an impartial inquiry into the controversy between Malik Riaz and Arsalan Iftikhar, saying it showed the impartiality of the judiciary.

Mr Afridi said that unlike other bar associations they could not place ban on entry of any lawyer in the bar as they believed that even a robber and thief had the right to hire a counsel for his case and any such ban would be an undemocratic act.

Other speakers said that they were fully prepared to launch movement if the elements behind the controversy did not mend their ways and continued with their conspiracies. They said that the leaked off-air conversation between two TV anchors and Mailk Riaz had exposed the entire conspiracy against the judiciary.

They said that the media organisations should make efforts for expelling black sheep. They decided to convene a meeting of entire bar associations of the province in future to evolve future course of action.