LHCBA flays PPP, PBC on judges issue.

2-hour long sit-in at Faisal Chowk on 28th

LAHORE: A general house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) criticised the political parties in the ruling coalition for confusing the issue of judges' reinstatement especially by declaring deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry a political figure.

An LHCBA meeting condemned conspiracies being hatched by PPP leadership and its coalition partners and some of the members of the Pakistan Bar Council. The meeting decided that on August 28, 2-hour long sit-in would be held at Faisal Chowk in front of the Punjab Assembly building. The meeting vowed that complete boycott of courts would be observed on each Thursday now. The meeting held that if the judges were not restored, lawyers from all parts of the country would stage protests and a sit-in would be held in front of the Parliament House on September 4. The meeting said that lawyers would not accept minus one formula.

Among others, LHCBA President Anwar Kamal, Vice President Mian Muhammad Aslam, and Naseer Ahmed Bhutta of the PML-N addressed the general house meeting, which was attended by a large number of lawyers.

The meeting noted that in view of the double standards of the PPP and its coalition partners with exception of PML-N leadership, lawyers would not allow them to fool the nation with false promises.

Speaking on the occasion, MNA Naseer Ahmed Bhutta said that Pervez Musharraf had to resign due to the pressure of lawyers' movement.

He said that his party (PML-N) was determined to reinstate the Nov 2 judiciary and minus one formula would not be accepted by his party and all out efforts will be made for the restoration of judges.

He said the PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif would make all efforts for the restoration of all deposed judges including chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

LHCBA President Anwar Kamal said Pakistan Bar Council was a statutory body but some of its members were representing the PPP government and they were making conspiracies against the lawyers' movement and deposed judges. He said a 40-member national coordination council had been constituted in which lawyers associated with the lawyers movement had been included so as to give good leadership to the lawyers movement. He said Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry did not play the politics as alleged by PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

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