The legal fraternity observed on Thursday as a black day and organised a protest rally and boycotted courts to condemn the presidential reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, large scale arrests in Punjab province, shifting of political prisoners to remote prisons and amendment in the Pemra Ordinance 2007.
Lawyers held demonstrations, took out rallies and wore black-bands on their arms as a mark of protest against the ban imposed on media in Rajanpur, Layyah, Muzaffargarh,Dera Ghazi Khan,Sahiwal, Vehari, Lodhran, Khanewal, Pakpattan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and RahimYar Khan.
Pakistan Bar Council, Punjab Bar Council, Multan High Court Bar Association and District Bar Association all have rejected the amendments made in the Pemra Ordinance, and termed them a direct assault on the freedom of press and a measure aimed at stifling the ongoing movement of lawyers for independence of judiciary and the rule of law. They also condemned the threatening of the government to bring more references against the judges describing it a black mailing.
They said the government was victimising different institutions one by one, which had disturbed the whole nation. They said after attacking the judiciary, it had launched an offence against teachers, politicians and then media, which is a proof of its anti-people policies. Aziz Baig appealed to citizens, political parties, intellectuals, engineers, writers, doctors, professors, teachers, students and traders to participate in their rally for revival of democracy and the constitution in the country.