Lawyers of 13 districts of southern Punjab on Monday observed complete strike at the call of Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Bar Association. More than 8,000 lawyers boycotted their professional duties and did not join any judicial proceedings against the suspension of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. They also organised rallies.
"No lawyer attended any court proceeding to show resentment against the unconstitutional step of the government against the chief adjudicator," said Mehmood Ashraf Khan, President of High Court Bar, Multan. Terming suspension of the CJP as illegal and unconstitutional, he said that only the SJC could suspend the CJP.
He said till the oath-taking ceremony of the acting CJP, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was compelled to remain in the Army House, and no hearing of the SJC regarding the reference was held till that time. A former vice chairman of Pakistan Bar Council Abbas Ahmed said, "It is outrightly an attack on the judiciary and a blow to justice to suspend a Chief Justice of Pakistan and forcing him to tender resignation in Army House."
He said that the reference filed against the CJP consisted of contents of the letter sent to the CJP by Naeem Bukhari, and added that it was a preplanned conspiracy of the government against the chief adjudicator. He said the CJP could have not been suspended unheard and his stance must have been heard. He negated the allegations against the CJP, saying that the opponents should support their allegation by giving written proof.
He accused the government of victimising the CJP, saying that there were already three references pending with the SJC, but the reference against the CJP was being decided hastily. He said that it was miserable that the CJP was not being given the right to engage counsel for pleading his case before the SJC.
Complete strike was observed in Jhang, Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Khanewal, Layyah, Lodhran, Rahimyarkhan, Rajanpur, Pakpattan, Vehari and Multan.