LAHORE - Though the legal fraternity has not announced an open support to the ruling party, however, the black coats at a moot on Thursday expressed their undeclared backing to the shaky regime with a clear message that they would resist any unconstitutional move in the country.
The lawyers also passed unanimous resolutions and declared that they would not accept any extra constitutional act. They expressed these views and demands at ‘All Pakistan Lawyers’ Representative Convention’ held at Lahore High Court Bar Association here on Thursday. A large number of elected representatives of bar associations from across the country took part in the convention.
The convention urged the protesting political parties to resolve their issues constitutionally and democratically. It also warned the judges of the superior judiciary against taking oath under any Provincial Constitutional Order (PCO) in case of any such unconstitutional act. The resolution said that the legal community would never back change of the elected government by any way other than through constitutional means and advised the protesting parties to adopt constitutional way to get their demands fulfilled.
The convention, through a resolution, also demanded the Punjab government to publish report of an inquiry held by a judicial tribunal of the Lahore High Court into the Model Town incident.
Lahore High Court Bar Association President Shafqat Mahmood Chohan, while addressing the convention, said, “We are not holding this convention to support and back any special group, party or individual, we are here for the safety of the democratic system”. He said that it was the tradition of the bar to strongly oppose all unconstitutional steps in the country.
At the end of the convention, a group of lawyers belonged to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek started chanting slogans against PML-N leadership. They chanted slogans “FIR…….FIR against Shahbaz and against Nawaz and go Nawaz go”.
STRIKE: Lawyers held a strike, expressing their resolve against any possible unconstitutional move. They boycotted court proceedings. Black flags were also hoisted on the bar’s premises.
Litigant public, however, faced difficulty due to the strike. LHCBA president Shafqat Chohan disapproved the frequent strikes saying that Thursday’s strike was critical as it aimed at supremacy of the Constitution.
Chohan said the lawyers wanted to raise their voice against unconstitutional protests. The Pakistan Bar Council had given the strike call.