CJP only to make brief stopover in city on 18th.

Karachi: Deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry will only make a brief stopover at the Malir Bar Association (MBA) on his way to Hyderabad on October 18.

This was announced by President Karachi Bar Association (KBA) Mehmood-ul-Hassan while addressing a press conference on Tuesday. He was flanked by Secretary General KBA Naeem Qureshi.

Chaudhry Iftikhar will kick off the third phase of the lawyers movement from Hyderabad scheduled for October 18, which is the first anniversary of the arrival of late Benazir Bhutto after eight years of exile, the rally for which was marred by bomb blasts that killed over 150 people.

However, the non-functional CJP will not address the KBA, which played has an important role since the lawyers movement started back in March 9, 2007, due to a dispute between the lawyers of City Courts and the Sindh High Court. Earlier, Mehmood-ul-Hasan had reportedly said that the CJP would not be able to could not address the KBA due to security reasons.

Mehmood-ul-Hasan said that Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry would be given a rousing welcome upon his arrival at the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Karachi, on October 18. He appealed to all the political parties and NGOs, to civil society and other organizations to accord a warm welcome to the deposed CJP.

According to him, lawyers from the City Courts will throng the airport in the form of a procession, while the lawyers of the Malir Bar will join the rally on the way. Following his arrival, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry will be taken to the Malir Bar where he will rest for a while and then proceed towards Hyderabad via Quaidabad and Nooriabad.

The programme for his welcome has been finalised and camps will be set up throughout his route as he may address people standing by the roadside.

However, many disgruntled lawyers have decided to not attend the welcome reception at the Karachi airport since they believe that it was a mere attempt at projection by those who wanted to contest the annual election of the KBA scheduled to be held in December.

link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=141140