KHANEWAL, March 7: Justice Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui, a Lahore High Court judge who did not take oath under the Nov 3 Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), has said that President Pervaiz Musharraf is conspiring to prolong his rule by forcing mainstream political parties to have a patch-up with him in the emerging political scenario.

“I as well as entire the nation knows that no mainstream political party is ready to work with President Musharraf as the masses have proved in the recent general elections that they don’t want to see Musharraf’s rule prolonging any more,” Justice Siddiqui said while addressing the Khanewal District Bar Association and later talking to reporters on Friday.

The deposed LHC judge said that President Musharraf had created a confronting situation before, during and after the general elections among political parties by supporting a “specific” party. “Musharraf don’t talk about transfer of rule to mainstream parties, as he is just trying to prolong his rule. Now he should understand that the people of Pakistan don’t like him any more,” he claimed.

Terming March 9 as “blackish day”, Justice Siddiqui said March 10 was brightest day when all lawyers raised their voice against President Musharraf’s what they believed “illegal act”.

He said that President Musharraf had called Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in the Army House on March 9 where he and his four generals pressed the CJP to resign but he (Chief Justice Iftikhar) refused to do so.

He held President Musharraf responsible for the ongoing bloodshed in various parts of the country and said that the prevailing situation would only be rectified after having an independent judiciary after the reinstatement of judges who refused to take oath under the Nov 3 edition of the PCO.

“The judges who took oath under the Nov 3 PCO are working illegally and unconstitutionally,” he said and added that the PCO judges had become disloyal to the country the moment they swore to obey General Musharraf.

Justice Siddiqui said the country was in real need of an independent, impartial and strong judicial system, which could prevail and ensure justice at all stages.

Quoting examples of western countries, he said these countries got such strong judicial systems after rendering a number of sacrifices and hardships coupled with lengthy struggle. “We also need the same magnitude of struggle for which we have started offering sacrifices,” he said and urged the lawyers and civil society members to continue their relentless efforts to achieve their goals.

He said the masses didn’t want dictatorship and they had proved this in the general elections by voting those parties in majority which were struggling for democratic system instead of dictatorship.

DBA president Raza Asif Saeed said the lawyers would continue their struggle for the establishment of rule of law, supremacy of the Constitution and independence of the judiciary after reinstatement of all judges deposed under the 2007 version of the PCO. During Justice Siddiqui’s address, the lawyers continued chanting slogans against President Musharraf, including their favourite rhetoric, “Go Musharraf go” and “Chief (Justice Iftikhar) Tere Jan Nisar — Beshumar beshumar.”

Earlier, Justice Siddiqui was accorded warm welcome by a number of lawyers at Niazi Chowk from where he was escorted to DBA Hall in a procession.