HYDERABAD, April 18: Lawyers continued protest against presidential reference against Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry as they boycotted court proceedings and staged rallies across the province on Wednesday.
The lawyers raised slogans against Gen Pervez Musharraf calling upon him to tender his resignation from both the offices of president and chief of army staff. They said that their struggle would continue until the chief justice was reinstated.
In Hyderabad the lawyers boycotted court proceedings in lower and high courts as chief justice appeared before Supreme Judicial Council in Islamabad in connection with hearing of the reference.
They brought out a rally from civil courts building and raised slogans against the president demanding his resignation. They also burnt an effigy of the president outside the press club.
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Hyderabad and other parties staged a demonstration outside the local press club.
Leaders of MMA, PML-N, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Sindh National Front and PDP said that all the opposition parties were holding protests but only one party was busy striking a deal with the present government that would neither be in the interest of ongoing struggle nor of the country.
They said that the deal was being struck at the instance of US. They were not demanding restoration of chief justice because he was still the CJ of apex court but the struggle was aimed at seeking resignation of Gen Pervez Musharraf as president and chief of army staff.
They condemned MQM's rally over Jamia Hafsa issue and said that the country's survival was at stake. If the struggle was not directed in the right direction it would be dangerous for Pakistan, they said.
They said that all the political parties were united and decided to hold protests on April 24 - the next date of hearing of reference. They said that the present regime had destroyed all the institutions.
HCBA general secretary said that lawyers were with political parties in their struggle for independence of judiciary. The lawyers' fight was for the judicial independence and they were not fighting for any political cause, he said.
Awami Tehrik also staged a demonstration outside the local press club. Ms Nazeer Qureshi, Gul Hassan Gharano, Zahid Mallah and Ali Ahmed Leghari sought reinstatement of chief justice and resignation of Gen Pervez Musharraf.
A rally was brought out by lawyers under the aegis of District Bar Association of Tando Mohammad Khan which was led by Abdul Hakeem Memon, Mohammad Hassan Shaikh, Faizul Hassan. They boycotted court proceedings.
SANGHAR: Members of DBA and taluka bar councils boycotted courts, wore black armbands and hoisted black flags on bar council offices.
DADU: Lawyers boycotted court proceedings in Dadu and Jamshoro districts and also observed token hunger strike outside the judicial complex in Dadu.
The lawyers vowed to continue struggle till the withdrawal of reference against CJP. A heavy contingent of police was deployed in the city to avert any untoward incident.
THATTA: Lawyers led by DBA President Izhar Hashmani staged a procession which marched on main thoroughfares of Makli and terminated at the sessions court.
KHAIRPUR: Lawyers boycotted court proceedings, marched in court premises and observed token hunger strike under the aegis of DBA outside the sessions court building.
DBA President Shafqat Mahessar and Secretary Asadullah Maitlo led the protest.
NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Lawyers boycotted court proceedings in Naushahro Feroze, Moro, Bhirya and Kandiaro.
Lawyers in Bhirya led by Abdul Saleem Luhrani brought out a rally from the Civil Court to Naushahro Feroze.
In Naushahro Feroze, lawyers led by DBA President Arbab Ali Tagar and G. M. Abbasi brought out a rally from the district court to the press club.
JACOBABAD: Lawyers boycotted courts and staged a rally, which marched on main roads of the city before terminating at the press club where they staged a sit-in for a few minutes.
They carried banners and placards and raised slogans against the government. Lawyers in Kandhkot also boycotted court proceedings.
NAWABSHAH: Lawyers boycotted court proceedings and staged a rally, which started from the sessions court and terminated at the local press club. The protesters carried banners and placards and raised slogans against the government. They also burnt tyres and blocked the road.
MIRPURKHAS: Lawyers boycotted court proceedings and staged a rally, which started from the bar office and terminated at the Market Chowk before marching on main thoroughfares of the city.
The speakers condemned filing of reference against CJP.
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