Lawyers observe 'black day'

lahore/ Islamabad/ Karachi - The issue of reinstatement of judges, sacked by President Pervez Musharraf last year, was pushed to the centre-stage of Pakistani politics Monday with lawyers across the country observing a 'black day' to mark the first anniversary of the riots in Karachi that broke out when sacked chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was to address a rally in the port city on May 12, 2007

Lawyers wearing black armbands held protest rallies in cities across the country and stayed away from courts. They also hoisted black flags on rooftops of bar council buildings.

The protesters demanded that the government arrest the culprits responsible for the riots in which several innocent people lost their lives.

The deadline set for reinstating the judges sacked by President Musharraf last year also expired Monday, providing another reason for lawyers to stage noisy protests in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and several other cities.

The Pakistan Bar Council has convened a meeting in Lahore on May 16 to evolve a strategy in this regard.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the Punjab Bar Council PBC), the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) joined in the protests and observed a complete boycott of court proceedings.

In Lahore, the lawyers also took a rally from Lahore Bar Association to PMG Chowk to protest against alleged u-turn by PPP on judges issue. They stayed there for half an hour and returned to their bar.

The lawyers condemned the politicians and targeted PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari for paying no attention to reinstatement of deposed judges and announced to chalk out future strategy including the Long March in the PBC meeting scheduled on May 17 in Lahore.

They also demanded to impose ban on MQM which they called a fascist political party. They accused the present political leadership of the country for giving a new life to dictatorship.

The lawyers raised thunderous slogan,  'Go Go Zardari-Musharraf Go'. The speakers said failure of talks on reinstatement of judges has proved the fact that Zardari camp has close links with Musharraf camp.

Addressing the General House of the LHCBA over Karachi killings, the speakers condemned coalition govt for not keeping their word on judges reinstatement saying both parties befooled people and kept them in darkness for two months. The speakers also deplored Zardari's statement that he was not in favour of correcting a unconstitutional step in an unconstitutional way.

The Islamabad rally, led by President IBA Haroon Rashid and President Lahore High Court Bar, Rawalpindi Bench, Sardar Asmatullah, was started from Islamabad District Court and later moved towards Parliament House. A large number of lawyers, civil society activists, students and people related to different walks of life participated in the rally. They were chanting slogans against President Musharraf and demanding the fair trial of May 12 carnage.

Haroon Rashid, during his address, said the purpose behind the rally was to pay tribute to heir of those people who lost their lives on May 12.

Sardar Asmatullah announced that Black Day would be observed every year on May 12. "We will soon start countrywide protest movement. However we will announce it on May 17", he stated.

Meanwhile,  All Parties Democratic Movement held protest demonstrations across the NWFP to pay homage to the martyrs of May 12 Karachi carnage and give vent to their anger for reinstating the the deposed judges.

The protest demonstrations were held in response to the call given by the central leadership of the APDM. In Peshawar, all the component parties of the APDM including Jamat-i-Islami (JI), Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf and Pukhtonkhwa Milli Awami Party held protests separately at different parts of the city.

Dozens of activists of PTI and PkMAP staged demonstrations at the Peshawar Press Club while JI took out a protest procession from historic Masjid Mahabat Khan and marched up to the rally venue at Chowk Yadgar. Their demand was the immediate restoration of the deposed judges.

Similarly, the workers of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party also staged protest demonstration in front of Peshawar Press Club to express the resentment on the first anniversary of May 12 incident.

The protestors, led by the Provincial President of PkMAP Mukhtar Yousafzai, vice president Arbab Mujib and general secretary Dr Said Alam Mehsud, carried party flags, placards and banners bearing slogans against May 12 carnage and military rulers.

Chanting slogans against delay in restoration of the deposed judges, the protestors held the military regime responsible for worsening law and order situation in the country. The protestors also chanted slogans against MQM and PML-Q.

Addressing the protestors, the PTI and PkMAP leaders came down hard on the MQM and held it responsible for Karachi carnage on May 12, 2007. They demanded of the government to probe the killing of over 50 innocents.

Meanwhile, lawyers also in the NWFP vowed to continue struggle for the restoration of the deposed judges. However, they said, they would wait for the decision of Pakistan Bar Council and National Lawyer Action Committee.

The protestors staged a walk from Peshawar High Court to Justice Square, near the Provincial Assembly building. They demanded for restoration of the deposed judges, independence of the judiciary and action against the responsible elements for the removal of the deposed judges.

Our Staff Reporter from Nowshera adds: On the call of the APDM, dozens of activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami Nowshera chapter staged demonstration. They assembled on the Mall Road and took out a protest procession and marched up to the Kachehri Chowk where JI leader addressed on the occasion.

Our Staff Reporter from Karak: A protest procession was taken out by the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) to show solidarity with those who were killed ruthlessly in Karachi carnage on May 12, last year.

Shahzada Zulfiqar from Quetta adds: President Balochistan Bar Association Baz Muhammad Kakar and President of Balochistan High Court Bar Association Hadi Shakeel Advocate led the rally. They participants were carrying placards inscribed with their demands of reinstatement of judges and chanting slogans against President Musharraf.

In Karachi, lawyers' fraternity, civil society organisations and political parties observed black day and recorded their protest against May 12 carnage in Karachi last year.

Speaking on the occasion, Liaqaut Baloch said that today it has been confirmed that our decision to boycott the election was correct as no transparent polls were possible under military dictator. He said that government is going to impose ban on the coverage of lawyers struggle despite its tall claims regarding freedom of media.

Baloch further said that present government has failed to restore the judges. He strongly condemned that government has made alliance with culprits involved in May 12 mayhem.

Meanwhile, security remained on high alert across the country in the backdrop of observance of black day in connection with the tragedy of May 12 in Karachi.

Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior A Rehman Malik, directed the heads of all law enforcement agencies not to tolerate any violence and ensure peace and order at all costs.

All heads of the law enforcement agencies and civil armed forces asked to remain in a state of high alert throughout the country.

The government appealed to all segments of society to remain peaceful and not to take law into their own hands.

Rehman Malik said the newly formed democratic government was trying to bring stability in the country; he thanked the people and demonstrators for peaceful observance of the day without disturbing the law and order situation.