SARGODHA, Nov 23: The local police on Friday foiled an attempt by a large number of people to accord a ‘rousing’ welcome to Justice Wajihuddin Ahmad (retired) in front of the District Press Club as well as District Courts Complex by cordoning off both the places.

The police did not allow 200 to 500 people, who were present there with bouquets and rose petals, to meet the former Supreme Court judge, who fought the Oct 6 presidential elections against Gen Musharraf, and express their sentiments.

Addressing the members of Sargodha DBA, Justice Wajih, who along with his five brother judges had refused to take oath under January 2000 edition of the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), urged them to continue their struggle against injustices being committed by a dictator.

Welcoming Justice Wajih, DBA Secretary Malik Nasrullah, who was released from Dera Ghazi Khan Jail on Thursday, pledged to continue their struggle for the rule of law, supremacy of the Constitution and independence of the judiciary. He said jailing and torturing could not deter them.

A large number of lawyers waited for the former Supreme Court judge from dawn to dusk. They welcomed Justice Wajih with high-pitched slogans when he arrived at the venue at a time much belated than expected.

Earlier, addressing a seminar arranged by the Liberal Forum Pakistan at District Press Club, Justice Wajih urged civil society organisations to expedite their movement against dictatorship. He said the dictatorship could not be set-aside merely by participating in the Jan 8 elections because their rigging had already been planned.

He said Munir A Malik, Aitzaz Ahsan and Ali Ahmad Kurd were not being released, and were being tortured only to penalise them for earlier pleading the case of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and thereafter his own (Wajih’s) case against a dictator.

He said the role played by lawyers, media personnel and members of civil society organisations would be remembered for a long time to come.

He criticised the judges who took oath under the PCO on a general’s dictates. He also criticised the judgment of the Supreme Court endorsing the emergency imposed by the chief of army staff.

He said the emergency was not imposed to pre-empt or control terrorism or suicide bombings, but only to curtail the judiciary and evade likely verdict of the Supreme Court which factor, according to him, was also admitted by Shujaat Husain in an interview to the foreign press.

Mirza Mukhtar Ahmad, a leader of the forum, presented a souvenir to Justice Wajih.

Earlier, addressing members of Faisalabad DBA, Justice Wajih termed the upcoming elections a ‘sham exercise’ and urged political parties to boycott polls and join hands with lawyers and civil society organisations to topple the government of a dictator.

He said lawyers did not believe in bringing about a bloody revolution, rather they wanted transformation of society following the golden principles of Unity, Faith and Discipline put forward by the Quaid-i-Azam.

He said the opposition parties were reluctant to boycott the elections because of one reason or the other. Instead, they should have given a solid response that until the departure of the general, they would continue their struggle against his dictatorship. He regretted that some parties were focusing on ‘expediency’ instead of waging a ‘potent’ political drive against the dictator.

He said after the current political turmoil would be over, they would introduce an amendment to the Constitution under which judges of the Supreme Court would be appointed for a life-long term. This way, no dictator would dare destroying the judiciary and other institutions in future, he said.

Lawyers chanted slogans in favour of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and his brother judges who did not succumb to the allegiance of the PCO. They vowed to fight till the withdrawal of emergency and the PCO.

Justice Wajih also visited the ‘justice corner’ formed by the DBA. As a matter of respect, he kissed the picture of Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and showered petals.

DBA President Tanvir Rahman, local TV journalists’ association president Shahid Ali, Liberal Forum Chairman Asif Khan and others also spoke on the occasion.