Aitizaz rejects judiciary restoration through Parliament
Bureau Report

KARACHI—President Supreme Court Bar Association Chaudhary Aitzaz Ahsan has said that the verbal order of new Parliament would be enough to reinstate deposed judges who refused to take oath under Provincial Constitutional Ordinance (PCO) including Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary
Addressing the General body meeting of Karachi Bar via telephone on Thursday, he announced to observe black week from 9 March to 16th March and rallies would be taken out for reinstatement of deposed judges and independence of judiciary.
2/3 majority, he said, is not needed for reinstatement of deposed judges, adding that, the verbal order of new Parliament would be enough to repeal all the steps taken by President Musharraf on November 03, last year.
The newly elected Parliament can remove all the obstacles created by Police and administration outside the deposed judges, President SCBA added. There is no democracy in the country till independence of judiciary, he said.
Independent judiciary is vital for sustainable democracy, he pointed out. The date of long march has been extended aimed to give time to new Government, he said, adding, rallies would be taken out for reinstatement of judges on March 10 and 13. In order to express solidarity with families of deposed judges, he said, black week would be observed from March 09 to 16, besides hosting black flags at courts.
Barrister Aitizaz Ahsan, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association has denied that Long March in connection with release of arrested and deposed Judges and reinstatement of judiciary has been cancelled. In a statement he has made it clear that, the said Long March, planned for 09th March has only been temporarily cancelled due to some unforeseen circumstances.
The Barrister has expressed his strong vow that, as a symbol of condemnation of illegal deposing and arrest of judges on 09 March 2007, a black flag week would be held in foreign countries, and demands for immediate resignation of president Musharraf and reinstatement of judiciary would be made. All bar associations would observe a complete boycott on 10th March and rallies would also be held, while during the rest of week all bar associations would hold different kind of protest functions.
Justice (Retd) Tariq Mahmood has said that the restoration of judiciary without reinstatement of Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry will not be acceptable to the legal fraternity. Justice (Retd) Tariq Manhood expressed these views after his house arrest was put to an end by the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad.
Justice (Retd) Tariq Mahmood said that government has done not favour to him by ending his house arrest as it was going to end automatically after a few days. Meanwhile, Former President Supreme Court Bar Association Munir A. Malik said that the decision to take the call of protest back has been taken to give the upcoming government time to reinstate the deposed judges.
He said lawyers will not accept any solution other than reinstatement of deposed judges. Addressing the Rawalpindi High Court Bar, he attributed the success of democratic forces in the recent general elections to the struggle launched by the lawyers. He said, if a political party does not reinstatement of the judges, it does not deserve to be called a democratic party.
Munir A. Malik said that no one should remain under the illusion that lawyers will back out of their stance. He added that legal fraternity will continue its struggle until full restoration of the deposed judges. He hoped that Aitzaz Ahsan and Ali Ahmad Kurd would also be released from detention just like Tariq Mahmood.