LAHORE, Jan 5: A delegation of lawyers and law students from the United States hosted panel discussions at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) on Saturday aimed at analysing the impacts of the Nov 3 declaration of emergency as well as the upcoming elections.

A panel, including IA Rehman, Advocate Asad Jamal and Sarwar Bari, agreed that poll rigging would create difficulties for the government after the death of Benazir Bhutto and the subsequent anti-regime backlash.

Vocal opponents to the emergency, including Justice Azmat Saeed, a former justice of the Lahore High Court, Anwar Hamid, vice-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, activist Diep Saeda, HRCP Chairperson Asma Jehangir and Student Action Committee (SAC) representative Sundas Hurain, stood in the first panel which discussed the fallout of Gen Musharraf’s second Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) and its impact on the rule of law.

David Gespass, spokesperson for the American delegation which is part of the international Rule of Law Programme, described the discussions as being useful and productive.

“We see the images on TV, but it’s always different when you hear personal accounts,” he said, adding: “The consensus is also that Pakistan is at a very vital time in its history and the events of the next few weeks will have an impact for years to come, for better or worse.”

Mr Gespass said: “In the United States, lawyers have by and large remained silent while the US constitution has endured attacks, more concerned about their careers than principles or human rights.

“We have much to learn from lawyers in Pakistan, who have risked their careers, their liberty and their lives in defence of their constitution and rule of law.”