The national lawyers convention announced here on Saturday to boycott all courts till February 18 and resolved to continue the struggle for restoration of pre-November 3, 2007 judiciary. The one-day convention was held at the Islamabad District Bar under the aegis of Pakistan Bar Council on the theme of "Restoration of judiciary as it was on November 2, 2007.
Office-bears of the Supreme Court, high court, district and sub-divisional bar associations attended the convention. In a resolution, the convention demanded: Immediate release of former Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and members of his family, other judges detained, and leaders of the lawyers movement, including Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, former Justice Tariq Mahmood and Ali Ahmad Kurd.
Former Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other judges, who refused to take oath under the PCO be allowed and facilitated to assume their respective offices forthwith. Removal of all restrictions on the media and press. Withdrawal of the FIR against lawyers in Peshawar and in other parts of the country.
In a very strongly worded resolution, released by PBC Vice Chairman, Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig, the convention alleged that: "All persons, who 'colluded' in the subversion of the Constitution by accepting the PCO and taking oath thereunder are usurpers and are in contempt of the order of the seven-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry."
The convention condemned what it called "the illegal and unconstitutional detention of former Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, his family, former Justice Rana Bhagwandas, former Justice Sardar Raza Khan, former Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, former Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, former Jusitce Shakirullah Jan, former Justice Chaudhry Ijaz, former Justice Falak Sher, former Justice Tasaddaq Jillani, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, former Justice Tariq Mahmood and Ali Ahmad Kurd.
The convention demands immediate release of all those being held for upholding the constitution and the independence of judiciary. The convention condemned "the false and illegal registration of FIR against the lawyers in Peshawar and the sealing of the High Court Bar premises, particularly the bar room."
The convention condemned the recent appointment of the judges of the superior courts, and resolved not to recognise them as such. The convention condemned the findings of Scotland Yard report in the matter relating to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
The lawyers saluted and appreciated the role of the members of media and press, who have upheld their commitment to freedom of expression and the supremacy of Constitution. The convention rejected and condemned the purported amendments made in the Pemra Ordinance and the restrictions placed on certain media persons and television channels.
The convention also condemned the purported amendments made in the Army Act and the Practitioners & Bar Councils Act and declared any such attempt as illegal, unconstitutional and subversion of the Constitution. The participants of the convention decided to hold the next national convention of lawyers in Lahore on March 15.