KARACHI, May 17: The Pakistan Bar Council and the Sindh Bar Council on Thursdays demanded removal of General Pervez Musharraf and formation of a national government headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry for holding free, fair and transparent elections in the country.
Addressing a joint press conference at the Sindh High Court building, PBC and SBC leaders condemned the May 12 bloodshed in Karachi and accused Gen Pervez Musharraf of having given a freehand to terrorists to eliminate supporters of the lawyers’ campaign.
Mohammad Yasin Azad of the PBC, Salahuddin Khan Gandapur of the SBC, and other senior lawyers, Fahim Riaz Siddiqui, Sati M. Ishaq, Mustafa Lakhani, Sadiq Hidayatullah, Mohammad Aaqil and Khalil Dogar, alleged that the rulers claiming to be pro-democracy, in fact, believed in fascism. They said that May 12 would be remembered as ‘black day’ in the history of the country as on that day, one of the ruling parties in Sindh went to the extreme point of terrorism. Besides killing a large number of innocent people, the terrorists injured dozens of others and held lawyers and judges hostage at different courts, they recalled.
Holding the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) responsible for whatever happened on May 12, they claimed that the party had just implemented Gen Musharraf’s directives, adding that the May 12 incidents sufficiently proved failure of the government and the rulers and, as such, they had no right to remain in power any longer.
The lawyers deplored that participants of the rally were not allowed to receive the chief justice on his arrival at the airport, and recalled that many judges had to reach the SHC on foot and some of them had to climb the boundary wall to get into the building. They also condemned the government for disarming police on May 12.
They referred to the statement of IG Sindh before the chief justice of the Sindh High Court that he wielded no authority to control the law and order situation on May 12, and claimed that this had resulted in heavy casualties.
The lawyers demanded immediate withdrawal of the presidential reference against the CJ, reinstatement of the CJ and restoration of the independence of judiciary.
They also condemned the killing of Hammad Raza, additional registrar of the Supreme Court, pointing out that he was a witness in the presidential reference against the CJ.
The PBC and SBC leaders criticised Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s statements regarding the May 12 incidents, and remarked that he seemed to be the least informed person.
Regarding the proposed inquiry into the incidents, they said the investigation body would not be acceptable to the lawyer fraternity if it was not headed by a high court judge.
Salahuddin Khan Gandapur told reporters that a committee of senior lawyers was formed to file a petition in the Sindh High Court in a couple of days against the government and terrorists.
About the strike call given by the Pakhtun Action Committee, he said lawyers would extend support to all those forces which condemned the May 12 incidents. Clarifying that it was not a confrontation between Urdu and Pashto-speaking people, they said it was a war against terrorists.