Lawyers warn govt against creating rift.

Aitzaz pledges to stand by lawyers' movement till success October 28 will prove Iftikhar is real chief justice: Kurd Hamid Khan says 160m people want deposed CJP's reinstatement

LAHORE: The legal fraternity has vowed to continue struggle for the reinstatement of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other judges.

Former Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council, Ali Ahmad Kurd, addressing the lawyers rally here on Thursday in front of the Punjab Governor's House, said lawyers were running their movement with the aim to oust and replace the 'unconstitutional' CJP with the reinstatement of deposed CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Kurd who is also a candidate for the office of the President in the upcoming SCBA elections maintained, "He will crush those trying to hamper the way of the reinstatement of the deposed CJP." He said October 28, the SCBA election day, would be the judgement day that deposed Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was the real CJP. He said it was due to the lawyers' movement that Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf shed off his uniform and now he found no place of shelter here.

Pakistan Bar Council member Hamid Khan, addressing the rally, said the restoration of deposed CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was the demand of about 160 million people and 100,000 lawyers of Pakistan. He warned President Asif Ali Zardari, Federal Law Minister Farooq H Naek, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Attorney General of Pakistan Sardar Latif Khan Khosa not to obstruct lawyers' movement. He claimed government-backed candidate in the upcoming SCBA election would face a crushing defeat.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said the goal of lawyers' movement was restoration of deposed chief justice Iftikhar. Though destination is a little far, lawyers would not take rest untill the restoration of Justice Iftikhar, he added. He said lawyers' movement would not end till its logical end.

The SCBA president alleged some forces in the government were trying to defeat Ali Ahmad Kurd in the SCBA election by hook and crook. He pledged to stand-by lawyers' movement till the restoration of all the deposed judges.

He also highlighted the successes of lawyers' movement. He maintained it was due to the movement that Justice Iftikhar was restored on July 20, 2007; Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf took off his uniform on Nov 27 last year, the exile leadership could return to Pakistan; general elections were held on February 18 and the government was offering the deposed judges to rejoin. Aitzaz also saluted former president of Lahore Bar Association (LBA) Hakam Qureshi, who is about 80 years old, for his participation in the rally from Aiwan-e-Adl to Governor's House.

When Ali Ahmad Kurd joined the rally at Governor's House, lawyers lifted him on their shoulders and shouted slogans, "Dekho Dekho Kon Aya, Sher Aya Sher Aya".

Pakistan Bar Council member Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari, LHCBA President Anwar Kamal, LBA President Manzoor Qadir and their cabinet members were also present on this occasion.

Earlier, the lawyers of the LBA, after holding its general house meeting, took out its rally, led by its President Manzoor Qadir, from Aiwan-e-Adl to the Punjab Assembly building. LBA president Manzoor Qadir at Faisal Chowk asked the lawyers to stage a sit-in. However, later, on the request of MNA Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Manzoor took the rally to the Governor's House.

The activists of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, Khaksar Tehrik and civil society also joined the rally to express their solidarity with the lawyers. They were carrying party flags, banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of the deposed CJP and independent judiciary.

The lawyers of LHCBA, after holding its general house meeting, also took out their rally led by its president Anwar Kamal. They joined the lawyers of LBA at GPO Chowk and jointly marched on The Mall.

The participants of the rally staged a sit-in in front of the Governor's House for about 30 minutes and chanted slogans for the reinstatement of the deposed judges.

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