NewsWednesday, March 14, 2007
Lawyers continue countrywide protests* Opp politicians stage march to SC building
* Courts boycotted all over PakistanBy Irfan Ghauri
ISLAMABAD: Layers continued their protests against the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Tuesday, boycotting courts and holding demonstrations countrywide.
In the capital, lawyers started assembling at Constitution Avenue at 9am, bypassing barriers put up by the district administration, which had closed the road several hours before the Supreme Judicial Council started its hearing of the allegations against the chief justice at 1:30pm. Holding black flags, the lawyers shouted slogans against Gen Pervez Musharraf whenever an official vehicle passed by.
Speaking at the demonstration, Supreme Court Bar Association President Munir Malik claimed that the government had prevented hundreds of lawyers from Rawalpindi and other Punjab towns from travelling to the site of the protest.
Opposition politicians marched in protest from Parliament Lodges to the SC building, where they tried to convince the lawyers to join up with their rally, but the lawyers refused. Most opposition parties were well-represented by their parliamentarians, except for the PPP, which was represented only by Senator Enver Baig and MNA Zamurd Khan.
“He (Musharraf) has pitched the army against the people,” MMA President Qazi Hussain Ahmed said in his address to the opposition rally.
The opposition also announced countrywide protests on Friday.
In Lahore, lawyers marked their “black day” with court boycotts and a short hunger strike at the Lahore High Court Bar Association. Several lawyers were injured in clashes with police outside courts in Ferozewala.
In Peshawar, lawyers blocked GT Road in a demonstration in front of the NWFP Assembly building. Lawyers and PPP activists also protested at the Peshawar High Court to stop “pro-Musharraf” lawyers from participating in cases.
There was a complete strike in Quetta on the call of the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party, and lawyers boycotted court proceedings. Lawyers also went on strike in Karachi and smaller Sindh towns, where courts remained shut.
Protests will continue today, as the Pakistan Bar Council and Punjab Bar Council called a countrywide strike.
Courtesy DailyTimes.com.pk