KARACHI, March 10: Legal proceedings remained suspended on Saturday in the city courts due to the strike call given by different lawyers associations. The call was given to protest against the suspension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. The lawyers announced they would observe a sit-in on M.A. Jinnah Road on Monday and continue to boycott the courts till Tuesday, March 13. The general body meeting was largely attended by members of different lawyers’ associations.
The lawyers stayed away from the courts and the judges also remained in their chambers on the lawyers’ request. The under trial prisoners (UTPs) brought from different prisons to the courts returned without their cases being heard.
A general body meeting of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) was held in the city courts premises which was addressed by KBA President Iftikhar Javed Qazi, General Secretary Naeem Qureshi, Vice President Qadir Khan, Joint Secretary Aamir Niaz Khan, President SHC Bar Association Ibrar Hassan, General Secretary Munir ur Rehman, Salahuddin Gandapur, Nahid Afzal, Mehmood-ul- Hassan, Khwaja Mansoor, and other senior lawyers in their speeches condemned the decision and termed it a slap on the face of the judiciary.
They asked the judges of all courts across the country to tender their collective resignations to lodge a protest that would be unique in the annals of judicial history.
“President Pervez Musharraf wants to prolong his tenure by using such tactics, but he cannot pressurise the judiciary and will face stiff resistance from all law abiding citizens,” the speakers said.
The general body meeting decided that the entry of all lawyers who supported President Musharraf would be banned in all three bars, Karachi Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association and the Sindh Bar Council.
Vice Chairman of Sindh Bar Council Mohammad Amin Lakhani, Dawn said Article 209 of the Constitution applies on a judge if he is incapable or involved in any act of misconduct. In both situations, the case is referred to the Supreme Judicial Council.
He said the President can appoint an acting judge only against a vacant seat, and his act was illegal, unlawful and irrational, as Iftikhar Chudhery was constitutionally still chief justice, as he had never tendered a resignation himself. He said the President’s action had tarnished the country’s image.
Member Sindh Bar Council A. Haleem Siddiqui said under Article 47 of the Constitution, members of parliament should give notice to the speaker to take action against the President.
PPP: President of the Pakistan People’s Party, Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah has termed suspension of chief justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary ‘an unconstitutional act’.
In a statement issued here on Saturday, he said that the ‘extreme’ step made it clear that there was no democracy in the country, which was being governed through a worst dictatorship.
He said General Pervez Musharraf did not want judiciary to function independently. “He wants to operate every institution with remote control,” he added.
SANA CONDEMNS: The Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) has termed the action against the Chief Justice as an attempt to gag the judiciary
In an e-mailed message, SANA chief Aziz Narejo claimed that in Pakistan, the judiciary had seldom been allowed to work independently. Successive governments have tried to suppress it and force it to follow the official line.
The suspended Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, became a thorn in the side of the dictatorial regime and finally removed from his office, maintained Mr Narejo.
“The military dictator’s decision is a blatant attempt to silence and subjugate the judiciary and needs to be universally condemned,” he said.