KARACHI, March 29: Thee members of Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) observed a hunger strike against the suspension of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. Those who sat on hunger strike were Mehmood-ul-Hassan Khan Niazi, Anwar Ahmed Khan Yousufzai, Sardar Ayaz Khan.

Lawyers stayed away from courts proceedings from 10.30am to 11.30am. A SHCBA general body meeting was also held in the bar room which was addressed by former president Akhtar Hussain, Secretary General Munir-ur-Rehman and member Rasheed Rizvi. They said the CJP’s suspension was unconstitutional and illegal. They said the lawyers’ campaign was their legal right which, they said, would continue till his reinstatement.

Ten members of Karachi Bar Association (KBA) sat on hunger strike in the city courts. Mehtab Abbasi, Syed Abdul Waheed, Mohammad Iqbal Aqeel, Mohammad Iqbal Munshi, Syed Shoa-un-Nabi, Abdul Samad Khattak, Hashim Padhiar, Syed Akhtar Hussain, Pervez Akhtar and Naveed Farooqui.

Lawyers in the city courts boycotted courts proceedings from 10.30am to 11.30am and gathered in front of the KBA office.

They marched in the city courts premises and raised slogans against President Musharraf’s action against the CJP. President KBA Iftikhar Javaid Qazi and General Secretary Naeem Qureshi criticised the CM Sindh for holding lawyers’ convention in Hyderabad while the participants chanted slogans against the chief minister.

Four members of Malir Bar Association (MBA) observed a hunger strike. Those who sat on hunger strike were Bashir Ahmed Brohi, Haji Khan Mashhori, Altaf Hussain Baloch and Amanullah Lashari. Court proceedings in Malir district were boycotted from 10.30am till 2pm.

The President Mutahida Majlis Amal (MMA), Qazi Hussein Ahmed, addressed lawyers in the city courts. He said the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, was suspended because of his commitment to ensure provision of justice and protection of basic human rights in the country.

He said that the action taken by President Pervez Musharraf against the CJP was in violation of the constitution and aimed at subjugating the judiciary. He said besides the Pakistan Steel Mills case, the suo motu actions taken by the CJP for recovery of missing persons had infuriated the rulers and they looked upon the CJP as a danger to themselves. He assured lawyers the MMA’s full support. He was accompanied by JI Naib Amir Professor Ghafoor Ahmed, MNAs Mohammd Hussain Mehnati, Asadullah Bhutto, and JI Karachi Amir Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui.