Lawyers movement to continue with full force till judges’ restoration: Ch. Aitzaz

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan said Saturday that the lawyers movement would continue with full force till the restoration of the deposed judges. The SCBA president said if judges were not restored then another long march would be organized and that would be led by deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Briefing media after an SCBA Executive Committee meeting chaired by him, Aitzaz Ahsan said a number of proposals were made, which would be submitted to National Lawyers Action Committee for consideration.
According to a decision of the Executive Committee, an international seminar will be organized in Islamabad for highlighting the lawyers movement. The invitees will include lawyers’ representatives and judges in various countries including USA, UK and other European states.
Aitzaz Ahsan said Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry would inaugurate the seminar and other judges would also participate in the seminar.
He said lawyer leaders from New York, Washington Bar, Chicago Bar and London Bar would participate in the seminar as these bodies had been supporting the lawyers’ movement in Pakistan.
Giving explanation for not holding Dharna after the recent long march, the President SCBA said, “This decision was taken after having consultation with Muneer A Malik, Justice (Retd) Tariq Mehmood, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Latif Ahmed Afridi, Anwar Kamal and many others.”
When asked about non-presence of Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Haji Syed Rehman, Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan said, “It was due to a mistake and I have already apologized for that.”
Aitzaz Ahsan congratulated the lawyer community, civil society and others who participated in the long march.
“We have achieved our objectives from the long march and it remained peaceful,” he said.
He demanded withdrawal of contempt notices issued to various advocates of Peshawar by the Peshawar High Court and said the lawyer community would protest if the notices were not taken back.
Aitzaz Ahsan thanked media for coverage of the long march and expected this cooperation would continue in future. He condemned reported attack on “Kook TV Channel” in Multan and forced closure of two programmes of “Geo TV Channel”.
He demanded action by the authorities to ensure recovery of DSNG of the ARY TV Channel.