Aitzaz says Musharraf will have to restore judges or quit on 16th.

Lawyers to start Black Flag Week from tomorrow Movement to be decisive
Aitzaz says Musharraf will have to restore judges or quit on 16th
Jalilur Rehman/ Jamaluddin Jamali

LAHORE: The Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and other statutory bodies of the lawyers' community have finalised the programme to observe the Black Flag Week starting from March 9.

The legal fraternity during the week will bring out rallies and boycott the superior courts as well as the subordinate judiciary. President SCBAP Chaudhary Aitzaz Ahsan told The Post that the lawyers were united and they had pledged to continue their ongoing movement against President Pervez Musharraf till the reinstatement of 63 judges to their offices. He accused the government of diverting the attention of the people from serious issues confronting the country and reiterated his demand of the reinstatement of deposed judges, including CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry. He said during the Black Flag Week lawyers would hold rallies and protest demonstrations countrywide. On 9th March the provincial bar councils will hold conventions of the lawyers. These conventions will be chaired by the deposed judges. On 10th and 13th all bar associations will hoist black flags at the gates of the bar offices. The black flags will have CJP's name printed on them. After the speeches the members will take out rallies. The members of legal fraternity will also observe complete strike on these two days. Arrangements are being made to relay the address of the SCBA president and the CJP on these two days. Loudspeakers and amplifiers will be installed so that general public can also listen to the addresses.

It was further resolved that the lawyers will only carry black flags and black banners. Photographs of the CJP, CJs of Sindh and NWFP and lawyers who were detained may also be carried. Secretary SCBAP Chaudhry Muhammad Amin Javaid said special resolutions would be passed to appreciate the courage of the three school-going children of the Chief Justice of Pakistan who have been under detention since November 3. Lawyers will distribute black flags, armbands and headbands during the rallies. Although it will remain a lawyers' protest, students, civil society, political workers and others may also join the rallies. Students, particularly of law, may volunteer to help the bar associations. From March 3 onwards, press briefings will be given daily by all office bearers of all bar associations stating the progress of the preparations for the lawyers' Black Flag Week in their districts.

The bar office-bearers will contact students, businessmen, traders, professionals and women organisations, chambers, trade unions for logistical assistance and support. "The Black Flag Week will be a preparatory step to the Long March and will reenergise lawyers' movement, Eitzaz said.

Meanwhile, in a press conference in Lahore Vice-chairman Punjab Bar Council Muhammad Sindhu, Supreme Court Bar Association Vice President Ghulam Nabi Bhatti, Lahore Bar Association President Manzoor Qadir and others told reporters at Punjab Bar Council on Friday that protest demonstrations and rallies during the Black Flag Week starting from March 9 will compel President Musharraf to quit the office before March 16 or he would restore the November 2 judiciary.

Aslam Sindhu said lawyers' movement had entered into the third and final phase and it will rid the country of the illegal rule of the president.

"The third phase of lawyers' movement has started and it will continue till the removal of President Musharraf and restoration of independent judiciary under Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry," he said.

Sindhu said March 9 will be observed as a day of renewal of lawyers' cause of independent judiciary.

On March 9 a press conference will be held at the Punjab Bar Council in which all the office bearers of SCBA, LBA and others bars will participate.

Aitzaz Ahsan will join the rally from Lahore High Court to Chairing Cross on March 9 and Ali Ahmed will participate in rally on March 13. They will address lawyers at the respective bars and later address the rally at the Chairing Cross, in front of the Punjab Assembly.

PBC vice chairman said in detail that Black flags will be hoisted on all important buildings and the whole Lahore High Court building will be rapped in a long and big black flag and banners and black flags will be hoisted on all the points at the Mall Road to decry the illegal rule of President Musharraf and his unjust decisions.

LBA president Manzoor Qadir and Aslam Sindhu said that political parties which got success in the2008 elections would be pressured to take up the issue of reinstatements of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other judges.

They said that lawyers would not be allowed to violate the call of complete boycott and if any of the lawyers appeared in the court on the day of boycott action will be taken against them.

They said respective bars will cancel licenses of the lawyers who will appear before any PCO judge during the boycott.

SCBA Vice president Ghulam Nabi Bhatti said no stone would be left unturned for the restoration of deposed judges.

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