Updated on
Summary
The legal community is observing a countrywide strike on the call of Lawyers National Coordination Council to register protest against the governments February 13 decision regarding judges appointments.A large number of lawyers rallied at Constitution Avenue and outside the Supreme Court (SC) and raised slogans against President Asif Ali Zardari and Federal Law Minster Babar Awan.The General Body of lawyers is to meet shortly at Constitution Avenue. The strike is being observed throughout the country including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan,Khuzdar, Noshki, Lora Lai, Zhob besides boycott of court proceedings, whereas the Peoples Lawyer Forum of Lahore High Court remained aloof.In Sindh, the lawyers forcefully locked down the Malir Court, which triggered a clash between two lawyer groups, while in Hyderabad, the blackcoats did not take part in the boycott.In Sukkur, the lawyers also held a protest demonstration besides the court boycott; however the PPP lawyers here also did not join the boycott.However, some senior lawyers kept mum on the call; whereas Advocate Akram Sheikh and Justice (r) Tariq Mehmood said that the lawyers should not have given a strike call.According to sources, Aitzaz Ahsan would not present in the court today, however, he is not endorsing the strike call openly.On the other hand, Ali Ahmed Kurd was also silent over the issue, as he attended the meeting of Pakistan Bar Council in Islamabad, but did not join the National Coordination Council's meeting being held the other day. Meanwhile, Akram Sheikh and Justice (r) Tariq Mehmood, while talking in Dunya TV's programme 'Policy Matters', said that the judges appointment was a politico-legal matter, adding that the government and Supreme Court were party in the issue.However, they added that the lawyers should not have given the strike call, as it would create problems for the complainants.Meanwhile, the SC Bar President Qazi Anwar said that February 18 would be marked as a Solidarity Day with the judiciary while Lawyers Convention would be held on March 9.
