Lawyers reject minus one formula: Kurd.

Vows to continue movement

PESHAWAR: Lawyers Movement leader Ali Ahmad Kurd has said that lawyers do not accept minus one formula.

He addressed a press conference on Tuesday at Peshawar Press Club, during his visit to Peshawar regarding the Supreme Court Bar Association election campaign

He said independent judiciary could not be restored in the country without the reinstatement of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry.

He said that lawyers did not accept Abdul Hameed Dogar as chief justice of Pakistan and vowed to continue the lawyers' movement.

He was flanked by M Ayaz Khan Sawati and Peshawar High Court Bar Association president Abdul Latif Afridi.

Ali Kurd said: "A dictator sacked Iftikhar Muhammad through illegal action on March 9, 2005, but the lawyer community did not bow before the dictator and foil his plan by starting their movement". The lawyers want to flourish democratic process, he added.

He stressed the need for restoring free judiciary saying that it was vital to get development.

"There are a few lawyers who do not want supremacy of law and trying to sabotage the 18- month long lawyers' struggle," he added.

He said the lawyers would not accept any unconstitutional chief Justice and fake judiciary in the country, adding that the lawyer movement would continue till the reinstatement of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

He said that the lawyers' movement has made an end to dictatorship from the country. He also lauded the role of political parties in removing dictators from the county.

Replying to a question, he ruled out some statements that the lawyers' movement had frozen. He said that if he elected president of Supreme Court Bar Association, the movement will accelerate.

To anther query, he ruled out that the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Ch had any association with Pakistan Muslim League-N.

Govt urged to take tangible steps to end crises : Tehreek-i-Istiqlal leader Rehman Khan has stressed the need for overcoming energy and water crises in the country. He addressed a press conference on Tuesday, at the Peshawar Press Club. He said the government should take tangible steps to end crises.

He said the economic situation could not be improved without focusing on both sectors. It is need of hours to construct more dams to meet the energy need, he added.

He said that two major dams could be constructed, instead of giving importance to IPPs companies.

Criticizing the previous governments after former president Ayub Khan Regime, he said that the rulers had not worked on constructing dams.

After the construction of dams, he said that the country would be able to overcome energy, water and inflation crises.

About 70 percent population was residing in rural areas; however, the population in urban areas has increased because rural had not got adequate money through crops, he added. He demanded the government announce support prices during the grinding and crushing period on important crop, including wheat, sugar cane, maze and others. Expressing grave concern over the abolishment of local government system, he suggested that the government should amend it instead of ending the system. Regarding deteriorating law and order, and lawlessness across the country, he called upon the government to maintain peace and stability through negotiation and talk instead of by force, in order to make region peaceful.

link: http://thepost.com.pk/NatNewsT.aspx?dtlid=188451&catid=2