Kurd says lawyers may consider govt offer for talks.

ISLAMABAD: The newly-elected body of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Tuesday avoided giving any specific deadline to the government but demanded immediate restoration of the deposed judges, including chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

“Our strategy is very clear and we don’t want to give any timeframe to the government for the restoration of deposed judges, keeping in view the overwhelming response given by the legal fraternity as well as the general public while observing November 3 as a black day,” Ali Ahmed Kurd, the newly-elected President of the SCBA, told newsmen.

He said the government should respect the heavy mandate earned by the SCBA in its recent election while participation of the people across the country in the successful protest of lawyers was a clear indication to the government to immediately ensure restoration of the November 2, 2007 judiciary.

To a question, Kurd said they had not yet received any invitation from the government for holding talks for the restoration of the deposed judges of the superior judiciary, including chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. However, if the government gave a formal invitation for talks, they would think about it after consulting the Executive Committee.

Kurd expressed his determination to continue the strategy adopted by the former body of the SCBA and reiterated to consume his energies for the restoration of November 2, 2007 judiciary, the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution.

Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, former president of the SCBA, expressed his full confidence in the leadership of Ali Ahmed Kurd and said that he, along with his other former colleagues, would extend maximum support to the newly-elected body of the SCBA so that it could achieve its goal i.e. the restoration of the deposed judges.

He expressed the hope that the newly-elected body, which he termed the most competent and comprising senior lawyers, would be able to accomplish the task that could not be completed during his tenure as the president of the apex body of lawyers.

Aitzaz said that an independent judiciary was needed for strong parliament as well as for the prosperity of the nation. “An independent judiciary is pivotal for exploring investment, job opportunities and consolidating the economic situation and more importantly for addressing the issue of unemployment in the country,” he added.

He said that many of their friends lost their lives since the legal fraternity launched the movement for the independence of judiciary, the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution. He said lawyers across the country were fighting for the cause of restoration of deposed judges.

Earlier, the newly-elected body of the Supreme Court Bar Association, headed by Ali Ahmed Kurd, took charge of its office at the Supreme Court building after holding its first executive body meeting.

link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=18178