 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Lawyers announce polls boycott Ask political parties to join them; deposed judges of LHC detained at homes |
|
|
|
Sunday, December 09, 2007
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The All Pakistan Lawyers’ Representatives Convention on Saturday unanimously decided to boycott the upcoming polls, urging the political parties to join them in the movement.
The convention declared the upcoming general elections as eyewash, observing that in the presence of President Pervez Musharraf, the so-called caretaker government and the incomplete Election Commission, the polls could not be fair, free and impartial.
The convention, attended by the bar’s representatives from all over the country, urged the political parties, civil society, students and the media to continue supporting the lawyers’ struggle for the restoration of the 1973 Constitution in its true spirit and the reinstatement of the judiciary to its pre-Nov 03 status.
Eleven resolutions were presented before the house that were unanimously passed. The resolutions included immediate reinstatement of all the deposed judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts. The house strongly rejected the proclamation of emergency and the PCO and refused to recognize the judges appointed under the PCO.
The house declared the judges who did not take oath under the PCO as the heroes of the whole nation and condemned their eviction from their official residences. It demanded immediate withdrawal of notices served to the judges for eviction and the deployment of police outside their houses. The lawyers vowed to protect the judges themselves.
The convention also demanded immediate release of all the detained lawyers, including SCBA President Aitzaz Ahsan, former president Munir A Malik, Ali Ahmad Kurd, Justice (retd) Tariq Mahmood, Baz Muhammad Kakar, Hadi Shakeel Ahmad, members of the civil society and political activists. They further demanded withdrawal of cases lodged against them.
Adopting another resolution, they said they would continue their struggle despite all unconstitutional steps and state terrorism, and would not hesitate from sacrificing for the said cause. The participants of the convention paid rich tributes to lawyers and members of the civil society who had faced the state atrocities.
Through another resolution, they strongly condemned the Pemra Ordinance and termed the curbs on the media, especially the Geo TV, based on bad intentions, demanding that the curbs be lifted immediately.
The house said the amendments in the aforesaid acts were the brainchild of Attorney General Malik Qayyum and Sharifuddin Pirzada, who are undesirable persons.
The house further termed the amendments in the Army Act and the Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Act as unlawful. It further said Pervez Musharraf was constitutionally and legally not the president of the country, and the lawyers would not recognize him as president.
It rejected the caretaker set-up describing it as the B team of the dictatorial regime. They strongly condemned manhandling and forced exile of Justice (retd) Wajihuddin from the Punjab and the police highhandedness against the lawyers.
The house condemned the foreign intervention in the internal matters of Pakistan, particularly the statements of the British high commissioner. The convention pledged that they would continue the struggle for the restoration of Constitution, the rule of law and independence of the judiciary irrespective of their political affiliations.
The lawyers’ representatives who spoke on the occasion included Punjab Bar Council Vice Chairman Tariq Javed Warraich, Executive Committee Chairman Syed Arbab Ahmad, Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Mirza Aziz Akbar, PBC member Hamid Khan, Lahore Bar Association president Syed Muhammad Shah, LHCBA President Ahsan Bhoon, Justice (retd) Nasira Javed Iqbal, Justice (retd) Khalil-ur-Rehman Khan, Azad Kashmir Bar Association president, Balochistan Bar Council secretary and Sindh Bar Council members and Hyderabad Bar Association.
Meanwhile, the deposed judges of the Lahore High Court were again detained at their residence, apparently to stop them from participating in the lawyers’ convention. The police deployment outside the judges’ residence was enhanced early in the morning after they were informed that they (judges) could not go outside.
When contacted, Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Justice Sair Ali, Justice Saqib Nisar and Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry confirmed their house arrest.
Justice Sharif and Justice Ijaz Chaudhry said the police had been deployed outside their houses because the government wanted to stop the judges from attending the convention. “I was taking a bath at around 8:00 am when my wife informed me that police vehicles had arrived outside our house,” Justice Khawaja told The News by phone from his DHA residence.
Defence police station SHO Mustansar Khan told Justice Sharif that he had come to stop him from visiting Dr Basit, who had invited him to tea. He added that he spoke with Justice Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman, who had also been detained. “A police vehicle had been parked outside the main gate of my house,” Justice Sharif quoted Justice Rehman as saying.
Speaking on phone from his GOR-1 residence, Justice Ijaz said the Race Course Police Station SHO had come to his house in the morning and told him the deployment was only for his security.
“I can confirm that all the judges had been placed under house arrest once again,” said Sharif, adding in the evening, the police deployment was removed from outside his house as well as from the residences of other judges, the time when the lawyers’ convention had concluded.
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
‘Al-Qaeda, Taliban leaders not in Pakistan’
ISLAMABAD: Strongly reacting to some of the reports of the presence of al-Qaeda and Taliban leadership in Pakistan by the US newspapers and some intelligence agencies, President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said more |
|
|
Mulla Omar in Karachi, claims WT
WASHINGTON: Mulla Muhammed Omar, the leader of the Afghan Taliban, has fled Quetta and found refuge from the potential US attacks in Karachi with the assistance of Pakistan’s intelligence, the Washington Times more |
|
|
Will PM intervene or will robber barons kill CCP?
By Mehtab Haider
ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has warned that it will cease to exist and its actions will become invalid in case the government fails to re-promulgate the Competition Ordinance on or b more |
|
|
Eight militants die in US drone attack
By our correspondent
MIRAMSHAH: Eight militants were killed and two others injured when a US drone hit a house in the Michikhel area in North Waziristan on Friday, the second such attack in less than 24 hours.
Tribal sources sai more |
|
|
19 militants killed in SWA, Khyber, Bajaur clashes
By our correspondents
WANA/BARA/KHAR: Nineteen militants were killed in clashes with security forces in South Waziristan, Khyber and Bajaur tribal regions on Friday.
Tribal and officials sources said five militants were kille more |
|
|
|
Pakistan has nothing to fear from India: Singh
WASHINGTON: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said India is ready to resolve all outstanding issues with the country on the condition that it will not allow its territory to be used against its neighbour more |
|
|
|
Qureshi wants result-oriented dialogue with India
MULTAN: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmud Qureshi said on Friday Pakistan wanted meaningful and result-oriented bilateral negotiations with India.
Addressing a press conference at the airport here, h more |
|
|
|
Only 15 pc believe Pakistan is going right
By Gibran Peshimam
KARACHI: Pakistan’s youths are losing confidence in the future and a mere 15 per cent believe that the country is heading in the right direction, while 72 per cent feel economically worse off than a year ago. O more |
|
|
|
Mustafa Jatoi passes away
ISLAMABAD: Former caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi breathed his last at the St Marry Hospital in London on Friday after a protracted illness. He was 78.
He leaves behind six sons and three d more |
|
|
|
Slaughter of animals, NRO beneficiaries begins on Eid
By Muhammad Ahmad Noorani
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will soon announce its strategy to deal with the cases which are going to reopen on Nov 28, a NAB spokesman told The News on Friday.
“The NAB chairman more |
|
|
|
WFP, Rescue 15 attacks’ mastermind arrested
By Shakeel Anjum
ISLAMABAD: The Capital Police on Friday arrested the mastermind behind the attacks on the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Rescue 15 offices in Islamabad.
The terrorist, identified as Jamshed Ahmad more |
|
|
|
Mushahid asks Karzai not to allow use of Afghan land against Pakistan
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League-Q Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Friday asked President Hamid Karzai not to allow the use of Afghan land against Pakistan under Indian designs.
“Pakistan wa more |
|
|
|
No Indo-Pak FMs meeting: Nirupama
NEW DELHI: India on Friday said no meeting had been scheduled between foreign ministers of Pakistan and India in Port of Spain later this month on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ( more |
|
|
|
US to tighten control of Afghan contracts: Gates
HALIFAX: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday that the United States must tighten control of Afghan development contracts as a first step towards stemming rampant corruption.
“The reality is more |
|
|
|
China has stake in Kashmir: Mirwaiz
News Desk
HELD SRINAGAR: As he plans to visit China, Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday kicked up a controversy by saying that Beijing has a “direct link” with the Kashmir issue, drawing strong obje more |
|
|
|
Clinton favours Indo-Pak dialogue on Kashmir
WASHINGTON: The United States is encouraging Pakistan and India to resume their dialogue to address Kashmir and other outstanding disputes but any solution must come from the two countries, Secretary of State H more |
|
|
|
Competition Commission forces PIA to fly fair
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Silent prayers of many Hajis have apparently been answered as the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has ordered PIA to refund within 60 days the excessive fares charged from the passengers, wh more |
|
|
|
Attack on policemen in Peshawar
By Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: The death toll in the bomb attack on police party in Yakatoot rose to three after a sub-inspector and another cop succumbed to injuries at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) on Friday as the city mourned more |
|
|
|
‘Musharraf funnelling money to improve image’
ISLAMABAD: Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf has reportedly funnelled a large amount of money to his former aides in the country in order to improve his image, as he is planning a return to the c more |
|
|
|
Sen Lugar’s wife arrested, charged with drinking, hit-and-run
News Desk
WASHINGTON: The wife of Republican Senator Richard G Lugar was arrested in the suburb of McLean on Wednesday night after crashing into a parked car, and she was charged with drunk driving and hit-and-run, the F more |
|
|
|
briefs...
Bombers kill 23 in Afghanistan
HERAT: Bomb attacks on Friday killed 23 people in Afghanistan, a deadly start to President Hamid Karzai’s second term that underscored spiralling insecurity nine years into more |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
