HYDERABAD, March 17 The restoration of Chief Justice of Pakistan, among other, is a special occasion for two belonging to minority - a senior lawyer and a peasant.
Jhematmal Jethanand is perhaps the only lawyer in Sindh who never appeared before the “PCO judges” following proclamation of emergency in the country on Nov 3, 2007 and not even when Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) allowed lawyers to appear before them for clearance of backlog cases.
“I will appear before (high) courts as soon as the Chief Justice resumes the work,” he said.
Specialising in civil litigations, Mr Jhematmal is humble and hails from Sujawal, Thatta district, and a member of provincial District Public Safety and Police Complaint Commission (DPSPC).
“I was cent per cent hopeful of the reinstatement of Chief Justice. I told him by phone that no one can prevent him from being reinstated”, he said.
His cases were looked after by his sons, Suresh, Parkash and Sundar Das in high courts. He bore huge monetary losses as his total boycott affected his practice.
“You know until Nov 3, the judiciary itself had accepted the PCOs of military dictators as only few refused to take oath while majority of judges had accepted it. But it was for the first time that judiciary had staged a revolt and 63 judges refused to take oath on PCO”, he claimed. He maintained that the military dictator himself had admitted in his Nov 3 action to be illegal.
Although the 73-year-old lawyer was not taking part in protest rallies but he didn`t miss any programme that was addressed by Justice Chaudhry. Today he stands tall among his community as there were many who left the movement half-way and ditched their friends ever-since PPP took a U-turn on judiciary`s restoration issue after the formation of government.
Even the CJP was all praise for Mr Jethanand for his commitment to the cause of an independence judiciary. He was presented a shield on October 18 last year by the CJP when he addressed High Court Bar Association and Hyderabad District Bar Association (HDBA) in Hyderabad.
MANNU BHEEL The reinstatement has once again rekindled hope to Manu Bheel for the recovery of his nine family members, kidnapped more than a decade. It was Justice Chaudhry who took up his case on a letter written by a Sweden-based human rights activist.
The CJP moved entire police hierarchy right from Sindh Provincial Police Officer (PPO) to concerned SHO of police station, reprimanding them often for inordinate delay in the recovery of hostages. It was under the apex court`s directives, headed by the CJP that the then AAG Sindh Masood Noorani got pre-arrest bail of accused Abdul Rehman Mari cancelled.
“I am pretty sure that he will reopen my case. He will certainly cancel bail granted by the Sindh High Court to Abdul Rehman Mari - prime accused of kidnapping case - on June 4, 2008”, he said.
Bheel is disappointed but pins in Justice Chaudhry.
He wanted to meet CJP but he can`t travel to Islamabad for want of money. “I spoke to him earlier over phone and told him that he would be reinstated one day which has happened now.
Mr Bheel lives in Sikandarabad, Kotri taluka of Jamshoro district with other bonded haris, who were liberated by the then coordinator of Special Task Force (STF) Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) late Shakeel Pathan. He staged token hunger strike for 1,287 but abandoned it for fear of his life.
His eight family members were kidnapped on May 2, 1998 when they were working on lands of Waryam Memon. A case to this effect was lodged by Ms Dharmi with Jhuddo police.
