TOBA TEK SINGH, Jan 2: Justice Khalilur Rahman Ramday, deposed judge of the Supreme Court, has said a federal minister offered deposed judges to contact him (minister) to get restored but he refused as he was not willing to get restored the way the minister wanted.

Though Justice Ramday did not name the minister, he was making a conspicuous reference to Law Minister Farooq H Naek’s formula, contemplating reappointment of the deposed judges.

Addressing the District Bar Association (DBA) here on Friday, Justice Ramday said that he was not running after his job and would accept restoration only if all deposed judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, were restored.

He said that sacrifices of judges and lawyers during the movement were in fact aimed at burying forever the actions like the one taken on Nov 3, 2007. He said that lawyers not only struggled hard during last two years but also faced financial hardships. He said that it was unfortunate that judges were sacked and later imprisoned along with their families only because they remained committed to the cause of justice.

Justice Ramday also gave Rs50,000 financial aid to the bar. Though the DBA office-bearers refused to accept the aid saying that the judge himself might be facing financial problems, Justice Ramday said that it was indeed a matter of pride for him that he was giving aid out of his own pocket to the bar association of his home district.

Earlier, Justice Ramday was given a rousing welcome when he arrived here from his hometown Tibbi in Kamalia tehsil.

Hundreds of PML-N and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) workers, activists of civil society organisations and lawyers took him from Kamalia Road to the barroom in a big procession.

Justice Ramday unveiled the plaque in a ceremony to name the DBA Hall after him. MNA Mian Junaid Anwaar, MPA Mian Muhammad Rafiq, former federal minister Chaudhry Asadur Rehman and district nazim Choudry Abdul Sattar were also present.

RAIDS: The agriculture department task force continued raids on fertilizers shops to curb black-marketing of urea.

The team caught a dealer, Ghulam Abbas, for selling urea at Rs850 per bag instead of government's fixed Rs660 per bag during a raid in Chak 430-JB, Gojra, and confiscated 99 bags from his shop.

The Gojra Sadar police registered a case against the dealer and arrested him.

Similarly, the Pir Mahal police arrested Habibullah and Zawar Husain for selling urea at Rs860 per bag instead of prescribed rate and seized 52 bags from their shop.

RALLY: Activists of JI took out a rally from old courts complex after Friday prayers to condemn the Israeli aggression against Palestinians.

The participants marched on different roads to reach Sadar Bazaar Chowk where JI district president Dr Maqbool Ahmad and others condemned the Israeli attacks on Gaza and killings of innocent people, including women and children. They also condemned the United States and United Nations for not taking any action against the aggressor.

They urged Muslim leaders to convene an urgent OIC meeting to plan and announce a joint course of action against the attacks.