Credit for democracy goes to lawyers: Javed Hashmi.

LAHORE: MAKHDOOM Javed Hashmi, the senior vice-president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, has said that the present rulers are sitting in Parliament only because of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s refusal to give in before a dictator and the consequent movement launched by lawyers for his restoration.

Addressing the general house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, prior to lawyers’ weekly protest rally, here on Thursday, Hashmi said the exiled leaders’ return to the country and the end of the eight-year-long dictatorship of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf were fruits of the lawyers’ movement. He said the movement had earned unmatched success within two years and it would achieve its objectives if it remained continued at a similar pace. He said he preferred to join the lawyers movement instead of going to attend the joint session of the Parliament because he regarded it more important than the in-camera session.

The PML-N leader said the movement helped democracy in the country to stand fearless even before the US. He expressed concerns that the government, instead of restoring deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, was meddling with judiciary without

realising its consequences. ‘The government must know that the country cannot survive if the poor are not provided with justice and the rich continue misusing their power without any check,’ he said, stressing on the need of independent judiciary. He urged the government to take the nation into confidence over the matters discussed in the in-camera session of the Parliament.

Commenting on the military operation in the tribal areas, Waziristan and Swat, Hashmi said the US had forced Pakistan to own its war on terror and the government must get rid of it by holding dialogue with the tribes which wanted to live in peace.

‘Our army is fighting for someone else, therefore, the country must separate itself from the war on terror,’ he said, adding that the rulers needed to show courage to push America out. He said America was facing more problems than us as its economy was coming down speedily.

Hashmi urged the lawyers to continue the movement as it was a struggle for the survival of the country, adding that the PML-N was ready to give any sacrifice for the movement.

The meeting was presided over by LHCBA President Anwar Kamal who thanked the PML-N leader. Vice-President of the bar Mian Muhammad Aslam, the Secretary Rana Asadullah Khan, Hamid Khan and Hafiz Abdul Rehman Ansari were also present on the occasion.

link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=141496