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Lawyers observe ‘black day’

Staff Report

KARACHI: The community of lawyers observed ‘Black Day’ on Tuesday with renewed vigour and commitment for an independent judiciary and boycotted the court proceedings across Sindh including the Sindh High Court.

Work remained suspended at SHC and only a few cases of urgent nature were heard inside the chambers by judges. Hundreds of cases were adjourned as a result of the boycott at SHC while several thousands saw adjournment at lower courts including Malir District courts.

The Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA), Karachi Bar Association (KBA) and other bars of the province held general body meetings and denounced the November 3, 2007 act of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for proclaiming emergency and promulgation of PCO II of 2007.

The SHCBA adopted the following resolution, on this second anniversary of Musharraf’s reprehensible attack upon the constitution, the rule of law, the independence of judiciary and the freedom of media; this house extends its appreciation to all judges, lawyers, journalists, political activists and members of civil society who bravely resisted such extra-constitutional measures and rendered great sacrifices in ensuring the return of democracy and an independent judiciary to Pakistan.

The SHCBA further denounced all those who initiated, collaborated and colluded in that infamous attempt to subjugate and muzzle the judiciary, the bar and the media and called for a public trial of Musharraf and all those who aided and abetted him in this subversion of the constitution. We also reiterate our commitment to maintain the independence of the bar and continue with the struggle for an independent judiciary and the strengthening of constitutionalism and rule of law in Pakistan.

Addressing a general body meeting of KBA, Justice Wajhuddin Ahmed warned the lawyers about the onslaught against judiciary and said recent developments in Islamabad were enough indicators of conspiracies against the judicial institutions and judges of superior courts.

He urged the lawyers to remain united and in state of preparedness as more difficult times lie ahead. Lawyers must be ready for preserving and protecting the independent judiciary, he said.

Referring to the National Reconciliation Ordinance, he said that the constitution is superior to the parliament and if the NRO is introduced into the parliament, then the lawyers would challenge it before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

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