'Azadi March': PBC warns government against making any amendment in laws

Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Tuesday warned the government against making any amendment in laws to create impediment in exercise of legitimate right of people to take part in 'Azadi March'. Vice-chairman Pakistan Bar Council, Syed Amjad Shah in a statement on Tuesday expressed grave concern over reports that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is contemplating to bring about amendments in relevant laws aiming at to prevent the people to proceed to Islamabad for participating in the long march announced by an opposition political party, which is supported by other opposition parties.

He said if the reports are true then those amount to an attempt to deny the people from their fundamental constitutional right of association and protest and so is highly condemnable. The PBC vice-chief warned the government if any unconstitutional step either to make any draconian law or forcefully deny the people their legitimate constitutional right of protest is taken, the legal fraternity will oppose the same tooth and nail and will not hesitate even to launch a nationwide campaign of protests against such actions of the government.

He advised the government to refrain from making any amendment in laws just to create impediment in exercise of legitimate right of the people to lodge their peaceful protest by way of long march, in the interest of the continuity of the democratic process and to safeguard fundamental rights of the people as guaranteed by the Constitution. Emir JUI-F Fazlur Rehman has announced a sit-in in the federal capital to protest against alleged rigging in the general elections.

Fazl has stated that the whole nation is united against the government. "I thank the political parties which have supported our long march. It's a rare instance in our country's history that there is unity on national level against the government," he added. "The government is becoming isolated and sinking deeper into a quagmire. If we march together, the results will be more effective," added the JUI-F chief and also expressed his gratitude to Jamaat-e-Islami for supporting him.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019