KARACHI, Nov 15: The Sindh High Court Bar Association condemned on Thursday attempts to eject the deposed Chief Justice, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, from his official residence in Islamabad and shift him and his family to Quetta.

A resolution adopted by the SHCBA general body warned that under no circumstances force or coercion should be used against Justice Chaudhry or his family, who are legally entitled to stay at the CJ’s residence. Another resolution reiterated the lawyers’ resolve to continue their struggle till withdrawal of “martial law”, which is imperative for national integrity. It demanded reinstatement of all the judges and release of all lawyers, including Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Justice (retired) Tariq Mahmood, Ali Ahmad Kurd, Muneer A. Malik, Abrar Hasan, Abul Inam, Rasheed A. Razvi, Akhtar Hussain and Muninur Rehman.

The meeting, conducted by prominent lawyer Iqbal Haider, was addressed by former chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah and attended, among others, by former SHC judges Mohammad Ali Sayeed, Majida Rizvi, Ikram Ansari, Mushtaq Memon and Zafar Hadi Shah and senior advocates Syed Naqee Meerza, Shahnawaz Awan, Khalid Hameed and Qari Subhan Shareef.

Former CJ Sajjad Ali Shah reminded the members that whenever democracy is derailed and the basic law is suspended or abrogated, the country comes to grief. He pointed out with concern that the conditions were not different from what they were in 1971. Gen Pervez Musharraf, instead of relinquishing the office of army chief of staff, has re-imposed “martial law” under the garb of emergency. In his quest for power, the general has suspended the Constitution, removed superior court judges, and curtailed the freedom of the media and other fundamental rights in violation of the law.

In his opening remarks, Advocate Iqbal Haider, who is secretary-general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said despite arrests, the legal fraternity would pursue its struggle till the success of the movement.