Lawyers to protect Murree accord: Aitzaz

QUETTA—President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Aitzaz Ahsan on Tuesday said the lawyers will resist all attempts aimed at sabotaging the Murree accord. He was replying to a question at a press conference here at the press club. He said that if the PCO judges were involved in the conspiracy, the lawyers will make all-out efforts for resisting such attempts.
He said that accord has been signed between leaders of two major political parties including co-chairman PPP Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif. The accord, he said, has also been made public in which both the parties have promised to allow the deposed judges to perform duties in their respective courts.
The president SCBA said that the accord was clear and unambiguous and expressed his full confidence in the political parties for implementing it within a month. To a question, he clarified that Justice Iftikhar and other deposed judges had condoled with Asif Zardari on Thursday last over the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and remembered her during their conversation.
To another question, he alleged that Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar was involved in the conspiracy of ransacking the official residence of Justice Ramday. The lawyers fully resisted and made the attempt unsuccessful, he added. Replying to a question, he said that no parallel judicial system will be created with the reinstatement of the deposed judges. He opined that the reinstatement of the deposed judges will create problems for those judges who took fresh oath under the PCO on November 3.
The newly appointed judges will be adjusted on merit and if the number of seats of judges is required to increase in any court will be increased, Aitzaz said, adding that he did not want clash between institutions. He thanked the media for playing due role since March 9, 2007 and said that media were playing their role sincerely and bravely. He also thanked the people of Quetta, political parties, members of civil society, lawyers and various unions who welcomed Justice Iftikhar on Monday.
Expressing concern over the conspiracies being hatched in Awan-e-Saddar against reinstatement of deposed judges, President Supreme Court Bar Association Aitzaz Ahsan has said that the scenario would be changed if any attempt will be made to foil Muree declaration. The legal fraternity do not want clash between departments of the country, as we want rule of law and constitution in the country, he said this during press briefing here at Quetta Press Club on Tuesday.
The judges who were sacked unconstitutionally would be reinstated soon, he said, adding that, the loyalty and love shown by people living in Balochistan with deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary is laudable. Aitzaz Ahsan also paid great tribute to media. The visit of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary to Balochistan was not political, he said, added, Awan-e-Saddar is trying its level best to create differences among departments of the country after November 03.

—Agencies