LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Bar Association has termed the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) a black law and asked the government to withdraw it.

A general house meeting of the bar held here on Thursday adopted a unanimous resolution against the PPO.

The house also authorised the bar’s cabinet to challenge the law before Supreme Court for being contrary to the Constitution. In his address to the house, LHCBA president Shafqat Mahmood Chohan said the ordinance was a negation of the Constitution and legal fraternity would come up with a strong agitation if it was not withdrawn.

Dispelling the impression of being opponent of any particular political party, he said the bar was against the ‘illegal’ ordinance only and would not let it become law.

He said the lawyers did not want to hamper democratic process in the country. He said they, instead, wanted to strengthen the government by not letting it pass an unconstitutional law.

Bar’s Vice-President Amir Jalil Siddiqui said the bar had obligation to challenge the illegal law for being in a social contract with the public.

He said the bar would resist passing of the unconstitutional law. He said Nawaz Sharif had a history of enacting such controversial laws during his previous tenures and facing the consequences.