Pakistan Views

The lawyers’ movement for restoration of the deposed judges would resume on May 22, from the Supreme Court, President Rawalpindi High Court Bar here said. Talking to media after a meeting of the Rawalpindi Bar, Sardar Asmatullah said the clerics, traders and the civil society would also join ranks with the lawyers in the movement. He said the deposed judges were already restored with withdrawal of the emergency rule, now it is only the matter of their functionality. He said the voters by rejecting the pro-Musharraf candidates in general elections given mandate to the political parties for restoration of the judges but the newly elected government has yet been failed to reinstate them.

Lawyers and political activists on Monday took out rallies and held public meetings to pay homage to the victims of May 12, 2007 and vowed to continue fight against dictatorship and for the restoration of independent judiciary. Legal fraternity boycotted the courts and took out procession from Karachi Bar to Karachi Press Club attended by a large number of lawyers, who were chanting anti-Musharraf slogans.To avoid any untoward incident, a large number of police contingents were deployed on waysides. The procession finally ended at Karachi Press Club. Addressing the protestors, Naib Amir Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Liaquat Baloch slammed Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), for his dubious posture on reinstatement of judges.He alleged that under National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), all his cases had been abolished and now he was playing a role scripted by President Pervez Musharraf. “The same was being played earlier by Chaudhry brothers,” he maintained.He alleged that the ruling coalition was not sincere in reinstating the judges and backing out of their pledges made to public in this regard. He said that for restoration of independent judiciary people had laid their lives and this movement would continue to succeed. Baloch alleged the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was responsible for the May 12 and April 9 bloodshed. He said that two deadlines had been set for restoration of independent judiciary but the ruling coalition finally came to nothing. “The third one is being planned to set,” Naib Amir JI added. The ruling coalition, he maintained, was supporting the dictatorship in the country. All Parties Democratic Movement would announce its future line of action on May 14, he said. He said that lawyers would continue their struggle for judiciary restoration along with civil society. He added that those judges took oath under Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) were not acceptable to people and lawyers. Ruling coalition held talks on reinstatement of judges and independence of judiciary in Dubai and London, which was tantamount to insult of Pakistani nation, Baloch deplored. On the occasion, President Karachi Bar, Mehmoodul Hassan and General Secretary Naeem Quereshi also spoke. Later, JI also led a rally to mark the first anniversary of May 12, 2007 victims. Speakers lauded the PML-N for its detachment from the ruling coalition. They said that APDM’s stance on judicial issue was right. JI Amir of Sindh chapter, Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, JUP leader, Siddiqu Rathor, leader of Pakhtoonkhuwa Milli Awami Party, Hakeem Khan Mandokhel and several other local leaders of JI spoke on the occasion. Qura’n Khwani at Peoples Secretariat was also arranged for those who sacrificed their lives on May 12 last year for the restoration of judiciary.

President SC Bar Association (SCBA) Aitzaz Ahsan on Tuesday said the lawyers will resist all attempts aimed at sabotaging the Murree accord.He was replying to a question at a press conference here at the press club.He said that if the PCO judges were involved in the conspiracy, the lawyers will make all-out efforts for resisting such attempts.He said that accord has been signed between leaders of two major political parties including co-chairman PPP Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif.Aitzaz said that the accord was clear and unambiguous and expressed his full confidence in the political parties for implementing it within a month.To a question, he clarified that Justice Iftikhar and other deposed judges had condoled with Zardari on Thursday last over the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto and remembered her during their conversation.To another question, he alleged that Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar was involved in the conspiracy of ransacking the official residence of Justice Ramdey. The lawyers fully resisted and made the attempt unsuccessful, he added.Replying to a question, he said that no parallel judicial system will be created with the reinstatement of the deposed judges. He opined that the reinstatement of the deposed judges will create problems for those judges who took fresh oath under the PCO on November 3.The newly appointed judges will be adjusted on merit and if the number of seats of judges is required to increase in any court will be increased, Aitzaz said, adding that he did not want clash between institutions.He thanked the media for playing due role since March 9, 2007 and said that media were playing their role sincerely and bravely.He also thanked the people of Quetta, political parties, members of civil society, lawyers and various unions who welcomed Justice Iftikhar on Monday.

The black Flag Week is being observed by the lawyers’ community across the country from today (Sunday), the day when Pakistan chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was “suspended” last year through a presidential reference.
The lawyers have been actively engaged in the black Flag week activities for the success of the event with a view to show their strength and power and reiterate their demand for the reinstatement of the deposed judges. Lawyers’ protest rallies, meetings and seminars are being held throughout the country to reinforce their ongoing movement for the restoration of the deposed judges. In Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta the lawyers staged rallies, held meetings and seminars to condemn the November 3 action by the then Army chief Pervez Musharraf Black flags are being hoisted at bar buildings and lawyers would wear black armbands.

Lawyers will observe the ‘black flag week’ from Sunday, to protest the dismissal of judges, and will also take out a joint rally with the civil society in the provincial capital.
Leaders of Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and Lahore District Bar Association (LDBA) said that the rally will commence from Aitzaz Ahsan’s house, and will be joined by the civil society members to express solidarity with the deposed judges. The participants, holding black flags, banners and posters, will march along the Mall Road to the residence of deposed senior judge Justice Khalil Ramday in GOR area. Black flags will also be displayed at the bar offices.

More than 2,000 lawyers rallied here on Thursday to press their demands for the reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf.
The lawyers, joined by civil society activists and workers of both religious and secular opposition parties, including former cricket hero Imran Khan’s, chanted slogans including “Go Musharraf, go!” “Our struggle will continue for the restoration of an independent judiciary and reinstatement of the judges,” read a large banner carried by the crowd as it came out of the High Court building and paraded on the main Mall Road.
Many carried portraits of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was sacked by Musharraf in November and remains under house arrest in Islamabad.
Lawyers across Pakistan have held protests every Thursday since Musharraf fired the Justice Chaudhry and more than 60 other judges after declaring a state of emergency on November 3.

Lawyers whose street protests sparked a political crisis for President Pervez Musharraf hailed the election victory of his foes but warned their fight is far from over.
“Most of the lawyers are happy with the result and they are quite hopeful,” said Lahore High Court Bar Association president Firdous Butt.
But she cautioned they were not taking anything for granted and threatened further street protests.
“We need an independent judiciary, so we started our movement, and now we are on the road unless we get our goals,” she told AFP.
The last lawyers’ protests, in the first half of 2007, saw tens of thousands of people taking to the streets and were the start of Musharraf’s troubles, which culminated in the outcome of Monday’s parliamentary election in which the president’s parliamentary allies suffered heavy losses.
The protests started after Musharraf deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry from his post on misconduct charges.
He was later ordered to be reinstated by the Supreme Court after a legal campaign led by firebrand lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan.
But Justice Chaudhry was later deposed and put under house arrest after Musharraf declared emergency rule on November 3, 2007.
The president fired 62 other judges, and the pro-democracy lawyers want all the jurists reinstated.
Ahsan this week called for Musharraf to step down immediately, describing him as the “most hated man in the country” and pledged to lead a so-called Long March in support of Chaudhry on March 9.
Sarfraz Ahmad Cheema, secretary of the High Court Bar Association in Lahore, confirmed that if the new government failed to heed their demands, lawyers throughout Pakistan would march on Islamabad next month.
“We demand from the present government and also from the coming government that Pervez Musharraf should quit the office of the president and the judiciary should be restored as it was on the 2nd of November, 2007,” he told AFP.
The party of martyred former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, along with the party of another former primer, Nawaz Sharif, emerged as winners after the elections and have been mulling a coalition.
Sharif has said his first act in a new government would be to get Chaudhry back in his job. Chaudhry could then rule Musharraf’s re-election illegal — a scenario that brought a smile to the lips of many lawyers gathered in the leafy courtyard of Lahore’s High Court.
“Pervez Musharraf has got two options — either impeachment, or resignation,” said Abdul Rashid Qureshi, as colleagues dressed in their trademark black suits and ties milled around talking politics.
“Resignation from his office is an honourable way. Impeachment is not an honourable way,” he said.
Muhammad Amin Javaid, secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said the election result “was the fruit of the struggle of the lawyers for the restoration and revival of the judiciary.” The day after the opposition’s election victory, change appeared to be in the air with the relaxation of the house arrest of key anti-Musharraf lawyer Ahsan, who was detained under emergency rule.
He immediately issued a call for the new government to stand up to Musharraf.
Former chief justice Chaudhry remained under house arrest.
Musharraf deposed Justice Chaudhry in what opponents say was a bid to head off legal challenges to his re-election as president.
While Musharraf remains in office, lawyers say, it will likely take a fight to restore Justice Chaudhry as Chief Justice.
The lawyers want Musharraf to step down and said the two big opposition parties should unite against him.
“They should make this fossil powerless,” Butt said.

The lawyers continued their boycott even today (Tuesday); however, they were seen raising slogans against each others. The lawyers, on the appeal from lawyer organizations, boycotted the courts at Lahore High Court Bar and lower courts and raised slogans; however, the lawyers at Lahore High Court were seen divided and the differences among them were too much conspicuous. Dozens of lawyers stopped LHC judge Justice Ahsan Bhon from moving towards the court. At LHC general house meeting, the differences among the lawyers emerged to the forefront with different groups kept raising their voices against each others. On the interference from the senior lawyers, they ended the belligerency. The general house unanimously endorsed to continue the boycott of courts until February 18. There was heavy presence of police deployed inside the premises of LHC on the directives issued from the registrar.

The lawyers are boycotting the courts across the country to observe a Protest Day today (Monday) on the appeal of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and a rally was taken out in this connection.
In Lahore, the lawyers staged protest demos in front of High Court and other courts and raised slogans, whereupon, the LHC registrar, seeing the commotion and chaos outside the courts, called in police.
A heavy contingent of police arrived inside the premises of LHC. The lawyers raised slogans in front of LHC judge, on this, the security personnel forcibly showed them out of the court room and the court proceedings were called off later on.
The lawyers are on the strike in district courts and high courts in Islamabad and Rawalpindi as well and lawyer leaders said the lawyers of Islamabad and Rawalpindi will continue their boycott of courts until February 18 on the appeal by PBC.
Talking to Geo, Peshawar District Bar Association General Secretary Akhtar Buland said Black Day is being observed in Peshawar High Court and all lower courts in Peshawar.
Meantime, the reports regarding courts boycott received from several other cities including Sukkar, Multan, Wazirabad and Jaranwala.

The lawyers of the Lahore Bar also boycotted the courts and voiced slogans outside Aiwan-e-Adal and Session Courts.
Lahore High Court (LHC) lawyers staged a demonstration and raised vociferous slogans outside the court of LHC former president Justice Ahsan Bhawan, inside the court of Justice Molvi Anwarul Huque and outside the courts of other judges, while the security men had to intervene to drive out the lawyers from the court of Justice Molvi Anwarul Huque and the court was adjourned.
Following the incident, a delegation of the Lahore High Court Bar led by its president Firdaus Butt called on the LHC Chief Justice, Justice Zahid Hussain, when the CJ Zahid Hussain said that the lawyers wanted to boycott the courts may do so, but should not pressurize the judges. LHC CJ assured the Bar president that the cases would not be disposed off on lawyers’ staying away from the courts.