ABBOTTABAD: Lawyers, politicians join hands against emergency rule
ABBOTTABAD, Nov 11: A meeting of representatives of various political parties, the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, Abbottabad bench, and the Abbottabad District Bar Association has decided to continue the struggle to force Gen Musharraf to end emergency rule, lift curbs on media and reinstate all sacked judges of the superior courts.
The meeting decided that the protest movement against the government move would be led by lawyers and it would be fully supported by leaders and activists of all political parties and members of all bar associations and civil society of the district.
The meeting also decided that from now onward all protest rallies and meetings of political parties, lawyers, journalists and members of civil society would be held under one umbrella to force President Gen Musharraf to reverse his decision.
The government has arrested president and secretaries of Peshawar High Court Bar Association, Abbottabad bench, and Abbottabad District Bar Association during a crackdown since the lawyers launched their protest against Gen Musharraf’s move on Monday.
Defiant and undeterred by arrest of their leadership, lawyers have formed different committees to continue their struggle under the leadership of senior lawyers. Daily hunger strikes are being held on the premises of the high court besides daily boycott of courts.
Meanwhile, Abbottabad Press Club has established a Wish Centre and kept a register there with an invitation to people belonging to all walks of life to visit the centre and express their opinion about the government action in writing.
The centre is decorated with pictures of sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and other judges of the SC who had not taken the oath under the Provisional Constitution Order.