LAHORE, July 3: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Thursday barred its office-bearers from attending a US independence day function being held here on Friday (today).

LHCBA President Anwar Kamal had placed the invitation by the US Consulate before the general house for its approval. The house criticised US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher for stating President Pervez Musharraf was not an issue, and demanded deposed judges be restored as soon as possible.

The house also unanimously carried two resolutions — one against the operation in the Khyber Agency, South Waziristan and Swat and the other on the closure of the Human Rights Cell opened by the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

On the occasion, Allah Buksh Gondal advocate said Gen Musharraf (retired) was at the root of all ills facing the country. He added the US was out to disintegrate the country but “shall meet defeat”.

Mr Gondal lashed out at the PPP for stating their mandate had nothing to do with judges’ restoration. “I ask them whether they were voted in power to back Musharraf, launch operation against their own people and serve the US.”

Mohammad Afzal Virk advocate said he had come to attend the house meeting in spite of having a heart attack three days back because he believed fighting for the restoration of the judges meant jihad. “We are not anybody’s servants but God and his prophet Mohammad (MPBUH),” he added.

Pakistan Bar Council member Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari said Abdus Sattar Edhi should restrict to collecting charity instead of criticising lawyers. He added the PBC, which accepted money from the federal law minister, could not obstruct the lawyers’ struggle for restoration of the judiciary.

He urged PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to adopt a clear policy on the judges’ restoration and saw conspiracy on agencies’ part to belittle Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and project PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. The hall filled with applauds when he said that Aitzaz was their leader and a man of great stature and commitment.

Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Hamid Khan termed the constitutional package a badly-drafted document, and said it was an attempt to delay the judges’ restoration. He added all the amendments in the constitutional package were aimed at weakening the judiciary and keeping the deposed chief justice out. He said the lawyers’ community stood united and was committed to their cause.

LHCBA Secretary Rana Asadullah asked the PML-N to quit the coalition as soon as it could, and join the lawyers’ movement.

Meanwhile, political parties have reacted sharply to an American official’s statement that Pakistan’s real issues are price hike and loadshedding and not President Pervez Musharraf.

General secretaries of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) held the United States (US) and his “stooge” army rulers like Musharraf for the crises the country was currently facing.

They were reacting to US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher’s statement that President Musharraf was not the real issue of Pakistan.

Pakistanis were suffering from price hike, loadshedding as well as terrorism and lawlessness due to America and its agents in the country in the form of army rulers who were implementing the US agenda, said JI’s Munawwar Hasan and JUP’s Qari Zawwar Bahadur in their separate statements.

They alleged Washington wanted an unstable Pakistan under the cover of the war on terror, and for the purpose it needed pawns like Musharraf.

They said the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were also responsible for the rising graphs of poverty and price hike in the country by extending it conditional loans in the name of financial assistance while the amount would be transferred to the rulers’ accounts in banks abroad.

They regretted the government had also bowed down before the US pressure on impeachment of Musharraf and was instead following policies of Musharraf era in all sectors.

Tehrik-i-Insaaf Secretary-General Ameen Zaki condemned US Joint Chief of Staff chairman’s statements that Islamabad had allowed foreign forces to launch missile attacks without prior information whenever they smelt presence of Osama bin Laden in

Pakistan.

He deplored Pakistani rulers for “selling out” security and sovereignty of the country just to prolong their rule.

He was also critical of the language PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari used against seminaries as well as launch of an army operation in Fata.