Pakistan Bar Council, Punjab Bar Council (PBC) and Lahore Bar Association (LBA) on Friday gave a call to hold protest rallies, meetings and wear black armbands on Monday (October 4th) against the arrest and police torture of lawyers. They would also lodge a complaint on Saturday (today) against those who promoted action against the lawyers in the LBA.
Speaking at a press conference they condemned the arrest of the Lahore Bar Office-bearers and lawyers on the charges of terrorism on the compliant of Lahore High Court Registrar. A large number of young lawyers present in the PBC hall chanted slogans against the Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif.
Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council and PPP Senator Muhammad Kazim Khan leading others said, it was a very sorry state of affairs that whom the lawyers had got restored after two years of hard struggle against the military dictator, today had termed the lawyers terrorist and put them behind the bars.
He said he is not worried about those who are in jail, as they would be released. He said they wouldn't compromise on lawyers' rights and they would go against even Asif Ali Zardari if he orders violence against the lawyers. He asked whether lawyers faced problems and miseries for the restoration of judges in order to be humiliated and go behind the bars at the hand of the same judiciary.
Vice Chairman Mumtaz Mustasa, Chairman Executive Committee PBC, Nasrullah Warraich, Chairman PBC Executive Committee, Rana Akram, Member PBC Ashraf Wahla, Vice President LBA Syeda Lubna, Nosherwal Adal and a number of members of the Pb BC were present.
Mumtaz Mustafa accused Chief Justice, LHC, and Shahbaz Sharif for ordering violence against lawyers. He condemned the arrest of Bar President Sajid Bashir and others in the Bar Room of the LBA without showing any warrants of the police. He also drew a pathetic picture of the treatment meted out to the imprisoned lawyers in the police vans outside the special court premises on Friday. He said 250 of LBA lawyers are missing and only 45 have been produced before the court. He said it was astonishing that for the sake of a judicial officer, the chief justice has dubbed the whole community of the lawyers corrupt and terrorist. Mumtaz also announced to take a protest rally from LBA on Monday (October 4). He said they would defend rights of the lawyers and their honour rising above political affiliations. He said that they present their case in the Court of Allah, Almighty and He would certainly do justice with us.