Lawyers blame MQM for Karachi killings

* PBC to observe a full day strike on Monday

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Saturday denounced the MQM for the Karachi killings.

Addressing a press conference LHCBA vice president Firdous Butt and secretary Sarfraz Cheema termed it barbaric. Cheema said the government had wanted to hinder the CJP and it deputed the MQM to worsen law and order in Karachi.

He said Gen Musharraf had given free hand to the MQM gangsters backed by the law-enforcing agencies including rangers and police.

He said, “We had held a press conference on May 10 to intimate the government that if any mishap occurred during the lawyers’ May 12 rally the government will be held responsible.” He said the MQM had threatened people on Shahra-e-Faisal, people’s colony and adjoining areas by blindly firing with sophisticated weapons.

Firdous condemned the incident of firing at the residence of Supreme Court Bar Association president Munir A Malik.

Separately, the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) staged a demonstration outside the Aiwan-e-Adal to condemn the alleged firing by the MQM causing about two-dozen deaths.

LBA president Syed Mohammad Shah called a meeting of the general house to discuss the Karachi issue. The participants later came out on the road and chanted slogans against the MQM and the government.

Some lawyers burnt the CM Punjab’s portrait. They were chanting slogans. “Pervez Musharraf and MQM Murdabad, CJP Zindabad, Go Musharraf Go. ” LBA president Syed Mohammad Shah and LBA secretary Khawar Bashir addressed the rally. They said it was a government-backed terrorism.

They said the LBA would cancel memberships of the lawyers belonged to the MQM.

Separately, the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) has decided to observe a full day strike on May 14 to protest against killings in Karachi by the government-backed MQM.

PBC vice chairman Tariq Javed Warraich said lawyers had always remained peaceful in their struggle for the restoration of the constitution and the independence of judiciary.

He said lawyers would not let “criminals of the nation” escape. He paid tribute to Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry for courageously facing difficulties. He also appreciated those judges and lawyers who resigned in protest against the reference.

He said the meeting had adopted a resolution condemning firing at the offices of Aaj television and newspaper Business Recorder.

—continue to strike for 52nd day

LAHORE: Lawyers continued boycotting court proceedings for an hour and staged a token hunger strike for the 52nd consecutive day on Saturday to protest the ‘suspension’ of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Three hunger strike camps were set up; one at Aiwan-e-Adal by the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) and two by on the LHC premises by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and its Save Judiciary Committee (SJC). No lawyer appeared before any court from 10:30am to 11:30am and they spent that time in bar rooms. LHCBA vice president Firdous Butt, secretary Sarfraz Cheema, LBA president Syed Mohammad Shah and SJC convenor Abdul Rashid Qureshi were among the participants who observed the hunger strike. staff report

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