Pakistan police separated supporters and opponents of President General Pervez Musharraf as the two sides held rival rallies in the capital yesterday during a hearing on a top judge's contentious suspension.
Lawyers and opposition activists have organized several protests since Musharraf removed Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry on March 9, triggering a political crisis that is testing the president's hold on power.
The government insists it suspended Chaudhry only after receiving credible complaints that he had abused his office -- for example, by using his position to seek a plum police job for his son.
However, critics accuse the government of trying to oust an independent-minded judge ahead of possible legal challenges to Musharraf's continued rule.
Chaudhry has denied the charges and vowed to fight for his job.
Hundreds of supporters of the ruling PML-Q party joined the fray for the first time yesterday, marching from their party headquarters toward a court in the center of the government district in the capital, Islamabad.
Courtesy: TT
Showing posts with label Chief Justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chief Justice. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice challenges proceedings
Chief Justice of Pakistan, suspended by President Pervez Musharraf last month on charges of misuse of authority, on Wednesday challenged proceedings against him by a panel of judges.
President Musharraf suspended the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9 and sent a reference against him to the five-member panel of judges.
Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, defence lawyer for the suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said the Chief Justice has challenged in the Supreme Court the composition, proceedings and jurisdiction of the pane, known as the Supreme Judicial Council.
Ahsan said Mr Chuadhry, in his petition, asked the Supreme Court to stop proceedings by the SJC as this body has no power to hear the case against the Chief Justice.
President of Pakistan has been made as respondent in the petition.
Munir A Malik, one of the defence lawyers told reporters that the petitioner has called for hearing of the case by a full court of the Supreme Court instead of Supreme Judicial Council.
He said the defence lawyers have also requested that the case be heard by April 20th.
Meanwhile the panel of judges on Wednesday refused a plea from the defence lawyers of the suspended Chief Justice to announce judgment about their objections at three members of the panel hearing presidential reference against Justice Iftikhar Muhamamd Chauhry.
The defence lawyers say that three judges are bias towards Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and that they be removed from the five-member panel The panel, headed by Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwandas, ruled that at present the plea cannot be accepted and that all issues should be brought before the panel.
Courtesy: IRNA
President Musharraf suspended the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9 and sent a reference against him to the five-member panel of judges.
Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, defence lawyer for the suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said the Chief Justice has challenged in the Supreme Court the composition, proceedings and jurisdiction of the pane, known as the Supreme Judicial Council.
Ahsan said Mr Chuadhry, in his petition, asked the Supreme Court to stop proceedings by the SJC as this body has no power to hear the case against the Chief Justice.
President of Pakistan has been made as respondent in the petition.
Munir A Malik, one of the defence lawyers told reporters that the petitioner has called for hearing of the case by a full court of the Supreme Court instead of Supreme Judicial Council.
He said the defence lawyers have also requested that the case be heard by April 20th.
Meanwhile the panel of judges on Wednesday refused a plea from the defence lawyers of the suspended Chief Justice to announce judgment about their objections at three members of the panel hearing presidential reference against Justice Iftikhar Muhamamd Chauhry.
The defence lawyers say that three judges are bias towards Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and that they be removed from the five-member panel The panel, headed by Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwandas, ruled that at present the plea cannot be accepted and that all issues should be brought before the panel.
Courtesy: IRNA
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Interior Sindh up in protest against the suspension of chief justice
Like other parts of the country the legal fraternity also staged protest demonstrations in interior Sindh against the suspension of chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the Supreme Judicial Council (SCJ) resumed hearing of the presidential reference against the non-functional chief justice on Tuesday.The lawyers took out protest rallies and boycotted court proceedings in Hyderabad to express solidarity with the non-functional chief justice.They boycotted proceedings of the high court and civil courts in the district and took out a rally to the Hyderabad press club. They were carrying black flags and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of Justice Chaudhry. They demanded withdrawal of the presidential reference against the non-functional chief justice. Qazi Abdul Sattar, Allah Bachayo Soomro, Fazal Qadir Memon, Chaudry Bashir and others led the rally.Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami also took out a protest rally on Tuesday evening. Led by JI’s senior leader Prof Ghafoor Ahmed the rally participants marched from Hyder Chowk to the Hyderabad press club. They were protesting against the suspension of the chief justice and detention of political leaders.MMA’s Hyderabad chapter president Abdul Waheed Qureshi, Aftab Khanzada of the PPP, Afzal Gujar of the PML-N, Samad Sheikh of the PTI, Taj Muhammad Nahion of the JUI-F and others addressed the protesters.Our Jamshoro correspondent adds: A large number of lawyers from Jamshoro, Kotri and Sehwan participated in a protest rally called by the District Bar Association Jamshoro.The rally, which was taken out from the bar office, culminated at the main Kotri Chowk. The protesting lawyers set ablaze their black coats to register their protest against the presidential reference.A sizeable number of the bar members hailing from Jamshoro, Kotri and Sehwan gathered at the bar office Kotri in the morning. Later, they reached the main Kotri Chowk in the form of a rally.The lawyers expressed complete solidarity with non-functional chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chuadhry. They critisised the Sindh chief minister for disguising “Tapedars, Beldars and Chowkidars” of the provincial departments” as lawyers during his address to a so-called lawyers’ convocation in Hyderabad.They said it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that the lawyer coat was dishounered by the chief executive of a province. The lawyers also boycotted court proceedings.Our Sukkur correspondent adds: Like other districts of the province the lawyers’ community of Sukkur also registered their protest on Tuesday against the suspension of the chief justice of Pakistan.They boycotted court proceedings, took out a rally, staged a protest demonstration and formed a human chain in front of the local press club.The protesting lawyers, led by Qurban Malano and President MMA Sindh Asadullah Bhutto, took out a rally from the district and sessions court. They chanted slogans against the government and marched on the main thoroughfares of the city. They finally gathered in front of the local press club and staged a demonstration.Addressing the lawyers, Asadullah Bhutto, Imdad Awan, Qurban Malano and others asked the government to withdraw the reference against chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and reinstate him honourably.They also called upon the legal fraternity and the opposition parties to launch a decisive anti-government movement to rid the people of the present rulers.Later, the lawyers set ablaze their coats and formed a human chain, while some of them also observed a token hunger strike on the premises of Sindh High Court, Sukkur bench.Meanwhile, scores of PPP workers led by MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, MPA Dr Nasrullah Baloch and other politicians also staged a protest demonstration followed by a sit-in outside the press club against the suspension of the chief justice of Pakistan.Some activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf also staged a similar protest demonstration.Our Thatta correspondent adds: On the call of the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA), the lawyers' community on Tuesday protested against the suspension of the chief justice of Pakistan.The lawyers staged a demonstration in front of the district court building and expressed solidarity with the non-functional chief justice and demanded his immediate reinstatement. President Thatta District Bar Association Izhar Ahmed Hashmani led the demonstration. They also boycotted court proceedings across the district.Our Khairpur correspondent adds: Members of the Khairpur District Bar Association on Tuesday took out a rally to protest the presidential reference against the chief justice of Pakistan. The lawyers also staged a token hunger strike and boycotted court proceedings.
Courtesy: TN
Courtesy: TN
Thousands protest in Pakistan over firing of top judge
About 4,000 people rallied in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Tuesday to protest against a decision by President General Pervez Musharraf to fire the country's chief justice.
The crowd, which included lawyers and political activists, gathered outside the Supreme Court building during a hearing of the case against chief justice Ifitkhar Mohammed Chaudhry.
Police and government troops kept a close eye on the crowd.
Musharraf removed the judge on March 9 after the government said it received several complaints about his alleged misconduct.
But critics of Musharraf said the firing was an attempt to intimidate the court and make certain it does not cause any trouble for the president in the event he seeks another term.
"Everyone should support the chief justice, it is our moral duty," Makhdoom Amin Fahim, vice-president of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, said at the rally.
Courtesy: CBC
The crowd, which included lawyers and political activists, gathered outside the Supreme Court building during a hearing of the case against chief justice Ifitkhar Mohammed Chaudhry.
Police and government troops kept a close eye on the crowd.
Musharraf removed the judge on March 9 after the government said it received several complaints about his alleged misconduct.
But critics of Musharraf said the firing was an attempt to intimidate the court and make certain it does not cause any trouble for the president in the event he seeks another term.
"Everyone should support the chief justice, it is our moral duty," Makhdoom Amin Fahim, vice-president of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, said at the rally.
Courtesy: CBC
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Pakistani lawyers decide to keep intact campaign momentum
Lawyers from all over Punjab have resolved not to ease momentum of their movement against Gen. Pervez Musharraf or allow black sheep in their ranks to divert its path.
At a convention here, the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) announced a full-day strike every Thursday as part of their protest against the ‘unconstitutional suspension’ of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, besides staging protest rallies, holding meetings and setting up hunger strike camps throughout the province.
The participants also enhanced the duration of the daily strike by lawyers from one to three hours during which time they would stage protests at their respective bars. The convention announced a strike and boycott of courts on April 3 when lawyers from all over the province will gather in Islamabad on the occasion of the hearing in the reference against the chief justice.
Bar Associations across the province were authorised to formulate their own protest schedules and programmes. It also said the lawyers' movement will remain unflinching till such time their goal has been achieved and lawyers will gather in Karachi if the venue for their assembly is shifted there.
The convention was attended by all the 113 bar associations, including representatives of the Supreme Court Bar Association and High Court Bar Association who demanded immediate ouster of Gen. Pervez Musharraf and reconstitution of the Supreme Judicial Council and demanded an open court trial of Justice Chaudhry.
The convention has demanded prosecution of Gen. Pervez Musharraf under Article 6, (high treason) for unconstitutionally holding office of president while in uniform of an army general and that a national government should be formed and elections held under an independent election commissioner.
The lawyers called for the removal of chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh for torturing lawyers and keeping Justice Chaudhry in detention allegedly for six hours to force him to resign.Paying glowing tribute to the boldness and courage of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, the convention saluted judges and law officers who resigned to protest the reference. The convention also adopted a resolution demanding resignation of Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani for ‘lying to the nation’. The resolution flayed Law Minister Wasi Zafar, Dr Khalid Ranjha, Arif Chaudhry and Raja Abdul Rahman for supporting what they said, illegal and unconstitutional acts of President Musharraf.
Courtesy: KT
At a convention here, the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) announced a full-day strike every Thursday as part of their protest against the ‘unconstitutional suspension’ of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, besides staging protest rallies, holding meetings and setting up hunger strike camps throughout the province.
The participants also enhanced the duration of the daily strike by lawyers from one to three hours during which time they would stage protests at their respective bars. The convention announced a strike and boycott of courts on April 3 when lawyers from all over the province will gather in Islamabad on the occasion of the hearing in the reference against the chief justice.
Bar Associations across the province were authorised to formulate their own protest schedules and programmes. It also said the lawyers' movement will remain unflinching till such time their goal has been achieved and lawyers will gather in Karachi if the venue for their assembly is shifted there.
The convention was attended by all the 113 bar associations, including representatives of the Supreme Court Bar Association and High Court Bar Association who demanded immediate ouster of Gen. Pervez Musharraf and reconstitution of the Supreme Judicial Council and demanded an open court trial of Justice Chaudhry.
The convention has demanded prosecution of Gen. Pervez Musharraf under Article 6, (high treason) for unconstitutionally holding office of president while in uniform of an army general and that a national government should be formed and elections held under an independent election commissioner.
The lawyers called for the removal of chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh for torturing lawyers and keeping Justice Chaudhry in detention allegedly for six hours to force him to resign.Paying glowing tribute to the boldness and courage of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, the convention saluted judges and law officers who resigned to protest the reference. The convention also adopted a resolution demanding resignation of Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani for ‘lying to the nation’. The resolution flayed Law Minister Wasi Zafar, Dr Khalid Ranjha, Arif Chaudhry and Raja Abdul Rahman for supporting what they said, illegal and unconstitutional acts of President Musharraf.
Courtesy: KT
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