PESHAWAR, March 22: An all-Pakistan lawyers convention held here on Saturday condemned the Legal Framework Order (LFO).

The participants declared that the LFO “is not part of the constitution”, and called upon the judges to retire on attaining the age of superannuation fixed under the 1973 Constitution.

The convention, chaired by Supreme Court Bar Association president Hamid Khan, also condemned the US-led attack on Iraq, terming it a naked and barbaric invasion.

The speakers said as Sheikh Riaz and Qazi Farooq of the Supreme Court had attained the retirement age, therefore, they should call themselves “former judges”.

The convention was arranged by the Peshawar High Court Bar Association following a decision of the joint action committee (JAC) of lawyers and was attended by the office-bearers of various bar associations and bar councils.

The convention unanimously passed two resolutions condemning the LFO and the US-led attack on Iraq.

The first resolution says: “The convention condemns the LFO and declares that it is not part of the constitution. Its provisions cannot change or alter the constitution.

“The lawyers had repeatedly called upon the judges not to accept this dubious gift from the military rulers and to renounce the same and retire honourably on attaining the age of superannuation.”

The constitution, the convention declared, could only be amended by the parliament by two-third majority of each house and no individual could amend or alter it. The Supreme Court could neither itself amend the constitution nor could authorise any person to do so.

Through another resolution, the convention declared the US-led attack on Iraq a blatant violation of the international law and a breach of the UN Charter.

The convention called upon the entire civilised world to isolate and ostracise the United States and the United Kingdom and other countries cooperating with them.

Mr Hamid Khan said the illegitimate military government needed such persons in the judiciary who “legitimise all their illegal acts” and for the same reason the retirement age of the superior courts’ judges was enhanced by three years.

The convention besides Mr Khan, was addressed by PHCBA president Asadullah Khan Chamkani, former judge of the Balochistan High Court, Justice Tariq Mahmud (retired); the presidents of the bar associations of the Sindh, Lahore and Balochistan high courts, Mr Munir. A. Malik, Mr Abdur Rehman Ansari and Mr Arif Kakar, respectively; JAC chairman Mohammad Kazim Khan, Pakistan Bar Council vice chairman Mian Abbas Ahmad, Pakistan Bar Council members Qazi Mohammad Jamil and Qazi Mohammad Anwer, Quetta Bar Association president Amanullah Khan, and others.