KARACHI, July 31: Criticising Co-Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari for delaying the reinstatement of deposed judges, the legal fraternity on Thursday urged chief of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Mian Nawaz Sharif to part ways with the ruling coalition by Aug 14 “since the PPP is not sincere about restoring the judiciary to its Nov 2 position.”
Speakers at the general body meeting of the Karachi Bar Association on Thursday said that the legal fraternity had given enough time to the ruling coalition for the reinstatement of deposed judges but the issue was still lingering on.
General-Secretary of the Lahore Bar Association Latif Sara observed that while Mr Sharif was assuring the nation that the judges would be reinstated, Mr Zardari had since distanced himself from such moves. He said the legal fraternity would launch a civil disobedience movement which, according to him, would change the destiny of the nation.
“The PPP had posed resistance to dictatorial regimes in the past, but now it is not only backing General (retd) Pervez Musharraf but also trying to legitimise his unconstitutional steps taken on Nov 3, 2007. It was the lawyers’ movement that had forced Gen Musharraf to doff his uniform and let the exiled politicians return to their homeland,” he said, adding that the masses had given these politicians a heavy mandate in the Feb 18 general elections for the reinstatement of the deposed judges. He regretted that the leading coalition partner was now showing reluctance to fulfil its commitments and implement the Murree Declaration.
The lawyer said that “Roti, Kapra Aur Makaan” was merely a hallow slogan, observing that food and clothes were spinning out of the reach of the common man while shelter had become a distant dream for the poor. He termed the rulers “opportunist.”
General-Secretary of the Rawalpindi High Court Bar Association Sajid Bhatti appreciated KBA’s role in the struggle spearheaded by the legal fraternity for the reinstatement of deposed judges, and said that the sacrifices offered by lawyers on May 12 and April 9 would not go in vain. He said the movement would succeed in achieving its objectives soon.
Yaseen Azad of the Pakistan Bar Council, Salahuddin Gandapur of the Sindh Bar Council, Naeem Qureshi (General-Secretary) and Naheed Afzal of the KBA, and Abdul Khaliq Junejo also spoke.
The meeting paid homage to Imdad Awan for his active role in the lawyers’ movement.
Mr Awan died of cardiac arrest when he was driving the vehicle of the deposed chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, a couple of days ago.
Later, Ghaibana Namaz-i-Janaza (funeral prayers in absentia) for Imdad Ali Awan was offered on M.A. Jinnah Road.
Meanwhile, the legal fraternity on Thursday observed a boycott of court proceedings at the City Courts and Malir Distract Courts in response to the PBC call for a weekly protest against the ousting of the Supreme Court chief justice Chaudhry Iftikhar and other judges.
Undertrial prisoners were brought to the police lock-up at the City Courts from different jails but hearing of their cases could not be held due to the boycott.
The prisoners were taken back to their respective prisons. Judges, however, remained present in their chambers.