Lawyers would stage sit-in at the Constitutional Avenue till restoration of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chawdhry and all other deposed judges, the President, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Ali Ahmed Kurd announced while addressing the All Pakistan Lawyer's Convention organised by Punjab Bar Council (PBC).
Emotionally charged lawyers chanted slogans in favour of the deposed CJ and against the government for not reinstating him and other judges. They also raised the slogan 'sit in, till the reinstatement of the CJ.'
The speakers of the convention said that the lawyers are united and ready to face all consequences and to overcome all the hurdles in their way to get the deposed Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chawdhry reinstated with other judges.
They said that lawyers' movement would now move ahead with new zeal and they would force the government to accept their demands.
Lawyers under the leadership of Kurd would reach their goal, they added. 'Lawyers are struggling for the independence of judiciary and for larger national interests, integrity and solidarity of the country, speakers said.
'They were of the view that lawyers are united in Pakistan. They have become the symbol of federation and a tool to cohesion the federation of Pakistan by their movement,' they maintained. Further, lawyers are struggling for the independence of judiciary, rule of law and supremacy of the constitution in the country, lawyers stated.
They claimed to enjoy the support of the people of Pakistan, teachers, doctors, students, political workers, labourers, farmers and members of civil society and that they would move altogether with them till the reinstatement of the judges and establishment of rule of law in the country.
'Our struggle is not for an individual or a judge. We are fighting for democracy, independence of judiciary and rule of law in the country,' they added. The PBC convention maintained that the country could not prosper neither it could develop and nation could not go a step ahead without independence of judiciary, rule of law and supremacy of the constitution.
Further, 'Lawyers are united and the government have failed to create rifts among their ranks and now the time have come to achieve our goals and the government would have to reinstate the deposed judges,' they stressed.
The PBC lawyers further said that the present government is working against national interests and working on Musharraf and American agenda and are not ready to reinstate the judges. 'They think that American would keep them in power but they should make in clear in their minds that lawyers' movement have changed the peoples' mind and decisions would now be taken in Pakistan,' they said.
In future, they added, no such rulers and governments would come who could work against the national interests and the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari should accept the lawyers' demand and should immediately reinstate the deposed judges.
Punjab bar threatened that if the present government does not accepts their demands, the lawyers would not allow it to stay in power further. 'Present rulers should make it clear that no one could save them now. A dictator has already left the power corridors in wake of the lawyers' movement and the lawyers will not allow present rulers to remain in power without reinstating the deposed judges.'
They said that the deposed CJ and the lawyers in Pakistan challenged the dictator and the then parliament never raised voice against him. Present parliament came into existence due to the lawyers' movement hence they should pass a resolution for reinstatement of the deposed judges, they demanded. If the present parliament remains mom then lawyers would hold long march and sit in to compel the government to accept their demands.
Furthermore, 'Next long march and sit in would draw the logic conclusion to the lawyers' movement and it would become an event of the world's history,' the speakers said and warned the government to reinstate the deposed judges before they reach the Constitutional Avenue. Otherwise lawyers would continue sit in until they don't see Iftikhar reinstated in the courtroom no 1 of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
They said lawyers would not compromise on their principal stand as they are fighting for the national interests and for the rights of the people of Pakistan.
The lawyers who spoke to the Convention were Khalil-ur-Rehman Remday, Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ehsan, Hamid Khan, Munir A Malik, Qazi Abdul Sattar, Muhammad Amir Rana, Tariq Mehmood, Abdul Latif Afridi, Qazi Naeem and Naeem Qureshi.
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