KARACHI, April 17: Lawyers’ representatives warned the government on Thursday against reported moves to curtail the terms of chief justices of the superior courts.

Addressing a general body meeting of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, SHCBA President and Pakistan Bar Council member Rasheed A. Razvi, Sindh Bar Council member Salahuddin Khan Gandapur and PML-N leader Nihal Hashmi said the legal fraternity was prepared for all eventualities.

It was ready to organize a Jashn-i-Bahali on the restoration of judges but it also planned to intensify its struggle if the judges were not reinstated. The speakers added that it was up to the government to take its pick.

They demanded adequate compensation for the lawyers killed during the movement for the restoration of the judiciary. Mr Gandapur proposed an amount of Rs5 million each. He said the same elements that thwarted the chief justice’s visit to Karachi on May 12 were behind the April 9 violence.

Meanwhile, legal proceedings remained suspended at the City Courts and District Courts Malir on Thursday. Lawyers stayed away from courts in response to a strike call given by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) to protest against the ousting of judges and to observe Yaum-i-Shuhada-i-Karachi in solidarity with the victims of April 9.

Around 285 undertrial prisoners were brought to the police lock-up in the City Courts from different prisons, but their cases could not be heard due to the lawyers’ strike. However, the judges remained in their chambers. Business activities in the court premises also remained closed.

The legal fraternity urged the provincial government to provide security to lawyers and unmask the elements involved in the April 9 incident.

Speaking at a general body meeting of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA), held at the Shuhada-i-Punjab Hall of the City Courts, KBA President Mahmoodul Hasan said the elements involved in the April 9 violence must be arrested immediately and stern action should be taken against them in accordance with the law.

‘Security risk’

He alleged that the presidency was hatching a conspiracy to sabotage the lawyers’ ongoing struggle for the reinstatement of the deposed judges and urged President Pervez Musharraf to step down since he was a “security risk” for the country.

Advocate Hasan Mahmood Jafari said “lawyers are protesting for the reinstatement of those judges who were illegally removed and have no illegal or political motives. Then why are some political groups trying to sabotage the lawyers’ movement?”

He said members of a lawyers’ welfare action committee had beaten him up in the KBA office, adding that he would lodge cases against them. “No political group would be able to create a law and order situation in the city if the people and lawyers were united against them,” he added.

Advocate Hameed Kashmiri stated that the lawyers have always opposed undemocratic forces and launched movements whenever dictators took power in their hands and were also against President Musharraf, who had imposed emergency in his capacity as army chief and unconstitutionally removed the judges.

He urged the government to order an inquiry against members of a lawyers’ action committee as according him, most of them were employees of the city district government Karachi. He also asked the KBA and Sindh Bar Council to take legal action against those lawyers.

Former MNA and Jamaat-i-Islami leader Asadullah Bhutto strongly condemned the ugly incident of April 9, but said such tactics would not demoralize the lawyers since their struggle has entered the final phase and their enthusiasm and determination were still high.

Later, the lawyers took out a rally from the KBA office and staged a sit-in on M.A. Jinnah Road, suspending vehicular traffic for some time. They later dispersed peacefully.

Members of civil society, NGOs and leaders and activists of Jamaat-i-Islami also participated in the rally. The lawyers chanted anti-Musharraf and pro-judiciary slogans. Heavy contingents of police and Rangers were deployed around the City Courts on the occasion.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Karachi Bar Association on Thursday met with Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and provincial Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits responsible for the April 9 incident. They also demanded the Sindh government compensate the victims.

KBA chief Mahmoodul Hasan told Dawn that the speaker and law minister have assured the delegation of full cooperation and said the provincial government would construct or renovate the offices of lawyers at Tahir Plaza and the office of the Malir Bar Association.

He said Mr Soomro would visit the KBA office and Tahir Plaza on Friday (today), while Mr Khuhro is expected to visit the KBA on April 21.