The legal fraternity on Saturday announced to go for countrywide sits-in (Dharna) after losing hope for reinstatement of judges, starting from August 28 with a two-hour sit-in across the country.
Addressing a press conference, Aitzaz Ahsan said that the legal community had displayed flexibility and had extended the deadline for the reinstatement of judges many times but now it had resolved to restart its country-wide protests.
The decision was taken by the Lawyers' National Co-ordination Council in its emergency meeting in case of any withdrawal from, delay in, or stay/restraint order passed by any court against restoration of judges in accordance with the Mureree Declaration.
Aitzaz said that the sit-ins (Dharnas) would be countrywide and each would be only for two hours. Further dharnas, if necessary, may be for a longer duration and would be non-violent. These sit-ins across the country would be held on Thursday 28 August from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm, he added.
He said civil society, political leaders, workers and cadres, professional bodies, trade unions; student unions and women organisations would be welcomed. They are invited to join but will remain entirely under the discipline of the leadership of the lawyers.
He requested local traders to have their shutters down for those two hours. Afterwards, on September 4, representatives of bar associations form across the country would congregate at the Constitution Avenue for a peaceful rally.
He said that the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has detached itself from lawyers' movement for reinstatement of judges; the National Co-ordination Council has unanimously rejected its decisions to demoralise the movement and the community.
He said that bar associations would convene their meetings for the general bodies and will pass resolutions to condemn the announcements by PBC. Black flags would once again be hoisted.
Responding to a question that Asif Zardari had backed out from his promises three times regarding reinstatement of judges had demoralised "and we still want implementation in accordance to the Murree Declaration". "There should not be any 'minus one formula', any constitutional package to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court or trimming in the tenure of the Chief Justice", he asserted.
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