Former chief justice Baghwandas has said deposed judges can only be restored by struggle and lawyers should continue with their movement. Addressing the member Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) here on Thursday, Baghwandas said President Pervez Musharraf had terminated the judges to prolong his rule.
He said Musharraf had first terminated the government of representatives of people of Pakistan. He said judiciary always remained under fire, but even then some of the judges had not accepted Musharraf from the very first day and had refused to take oath under the provisional constitution order (PCO).
But on November 3, 2007, Musharraf imposed emergency and terminated 60 judges of the higher courts with a single stroke of pen. He said Musharraf had himself accepted his action as. extra constitutional, which was not validated by the parliament of his own choice. He said usurpers always acted unconstitutionally to undermine the judiciary.
Appreciating the lawyers' struggle, he said they always performed their national duty for rule of law and independence of judiciary in the country. He said the lawyers faced hardships, including, teargas, batons charge and humiliation for the implementation of fundamental rights in the country.
He said people from all walks of life, including journalist community, supported the lawyers in their struggle, but a single person was violating the rule of law and the Constitution to save his skin. He said judges were not only terminated, but they along with their families were detained illegally and without lawful authority.