Restored judiciary brought no change: Kurd

Restored judiciary brought no change: Kurd

Saturday, September 26, 2009 By By Sohail Khan

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Ali Ahmad Kurd on Friday said that the restored judiciary had brought no changes in the institution that ultimately disappointed the public at large. Talking to reporters on the premises of the Supreme Court, he urged the higher judiciary to strive hard to make the people believe in the judicial system of the country. Ali Ahmed Kurd said that the legal fraternity had waged a war for the restoration of the judiciary and the Constitution and launched a massive movement, and finally it succeeded in restoring the judiciary of November 2, 2007. However, he said that the restored deposed judiciary brought no changes to the institution. “It was the lawyers’ movement that forced a powerful person of our history to leave the Presidency and the good faith of lawyers made it possible to restore the deposed judiciary,” Kurd said. The SCBA president said that a large number of litigants visited the Supreme Court but were not provided justice due to which a sense of deprivation and disappointment was prevailing among the masses. He further said that the Supreme Court should devise a unified system for smooth and rapid processing of applications received from litigants, and they should be intimated at the earliest before their cases are taken up. http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=200152

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Christians burnt to death; Lawyers go unbridled. One day in Shahbaz Sharif's rule in Punjab

Christian children, women burnt to death in Pakistan

TCM News Desk
July 31, 2009 | 00:47:23

SEVERAL Christian children and women were reportedly burnt to death when a Muslim mob set on fire 40 homes of Christians in Korian village in Toba Tek district of Punjab province inPakistan on July 30.

According to Pakistan Christian Post, the Faisalabad-Gojra Road has been blocked by a Muslim mob that is preventing any help to reach village Korian where homes of Christians are burning.

The trigger to the violence, it was reported, was that Christians had given shelter to a boy who was accused to have torn down pages of Koran.

On Sunday night Muslims were searching for one boy in a large gathering of a Christian wedding ceremony; they accused that the boy accused had burnt down pages of the Koran, the Pakistan newspaper reported.

Though the Christian and Muslim elders in the village defused the tension on clarification of the Christian youth that he had not burnt pages of the Quran, the mob came back on Thursday night at 9:00 pm (Pakistan time). The Muslim mob is said to have given a call to the locals from a mosque’s loudspeakers asking them to gather and teach a lesson to ‘infidel Christians.’

Police forces have left Lahore for Toba Tek after call from Christians in Gojra who are also hiding in homes on fear of attack by Muslims.

The nearby villages also made same announcements from mosque and Muslims gathered before homes of Christians in large numbers. Women and men with fear locked their doors to hide inside.

It is second incident of burning homes of Christian in Punjab province when Muslim mob on accusation of blasphemy attacked village Bahamin Wala in district Kasur on July 1, 2009.

There is widespread fear among Christians in Punjab province on safety and security of life from attacks of extremist Muslims and misuse of blasphemy laws, Pakistan Christian Postadded.

http://www.christianmessenger.in/news/pak_310709/766.php

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Lawyers go unbridled, breaking rules in routine

By Rana Tanveer

LAHORE: The lawyers’ ruthless attitude towards media in the city on Thursday is not the first such instance.

Daily Times learnt that the lawyers are never brought to the book for committing numerous illegalities against the media, police or even judges. Most lawyers do not even abide with traffic rules.

A few months ago, a group of lawyers led by advocate Moazzam Iqbal Gill attacked and injured three reporters in the compound of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) for not writing in favour of Gill’s campaign for the LHCBA presidency. The journalists were severely injured after being hit by chairs but the police refused to register a first information report (FIR) against the lawyers, saying they had no jurisdiction to book people for incidents in the premises of the courts.

Moreover, during the lawyers’ movement for the restoration of judiciary, lawyers thrashed media teams and abused journalists.

Last year in April, lawyers beat former federal minister Dr Sher Afgan Niazi in front of the LHC. The LHCBA office-bearers called lawyers and media saying they had trapped Niazi and would teach him a lesson for supporting former president Pervez Musharraf and giving statements against their movement. Lawyers even barred the entry of journalists to the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) bar room.

A few days ago, a traffic warden was beaten by a group of lawyers for stopping a lawyer’s motorcycle for a traffic violation on The Mall. The Civil Lines Police not only refused to register an FIR against the lawyers but also returned the confiscated motorcycle without charging the lawyer the fee of the ticket.

The LBA held a series of protests against Deputy District Officer (Revenue) (DDOR) Kalsoom Haye demanding her transfer. Even the LHC chief justice issued orders to the chief secretary to transfer the DDOR in order to meet the lawyers’ demand.

Former LHC chief justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry was the only official who took action against the lawyers and succeeded in stopping them from committing illegal actions in the courts.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\07\31\story_31-7-2009_pg13_10

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Shariat, Swat and Unemployed Lawyers: Tanvir Qaiser Shahid,

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Examination paper for "Long March 2009": Tahir Sarwar Mir

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What about lawyers’ cause in Swat?

A new lawyers’ movement may be needed to address the crisis created for the legal profession in Swat after the Tehreek-e Nifaz-e Shariat-e Muhammadi (TNSM) banned the lawyers from the qazi courts set up under the tutelage of its leader, Sufi Muhammad. He warned the lawyers and judges on March 17 to stay away from the courts, saying they had no role under the new system of Islamic law in the region, branding the present Pakistani jurisprudence as an “infidel judicial system”. He said only the people filing cases and the accused would be eligible to appear in the new “Islamic courts”.

The Peshawar Bar Council has expressed its concern over these developments and intends to protest with the NWFP government. It is important to note that the country’s lawyers’ community did not properly register the plight of the lawyers in Swat after some of them were killed and those who did not migrate out of the valley were kidnapped and remain unaccounted for till today. But even as the lawyers protest in Peshawar, the Taliban have kicked the NGOs out of Swat and are still resolutely opposed to polio drops for children. Five hundred lawyers plan to pack up their bags and leave Swat. Meanwhile, fourteen more Taliban terrorists were freed from jail on Sunday, taking the total number released so far to 48, so that they can enforce the writ of the Taliban in Swat!

Isn’t there anything anyone can do about this? What about the lawyers who abandoned their profession for two years to get the deposed chief justice of Pakistan reinstated? Getting thrashed by the police in Lahore is one thing, being beheaded by the terrorists in Swat, as the state watches from the sidelines, is another. But the contrast is stark. And the contrast is in the mindset of those who suffer the atrocities of the terrorists in the name of Islam and the thinking of those who fight for the “independence” of the judiciary in the rest of the country. In Swat, the judiciary is going to be the handmaiden of the illegal occupants of the valley. Soon this rule will be extended through qazi courts to the entire Malakand Division and Kohistan in the Hazara Division.

One doesn’t have to strain to predict that the judicial system of the Taliban will soon threaten the rest of the country. Let us examine why this will happen. Unfortunately, no clerical organisation, apart from some individual Barelvi scholars and independent thinkers like Mr Javed Ghamidi, accepts that shariat is in force in Pakistan through the 14th Amendment that establishes the Federal Shariat Court. Even non-clerical debaters complain of “many systems” in the country, ignoring the fact that the principle established by the Federal Shariat Court — that nothing against the Islamic precepts will be allowed to stand — Islamises even the Pakistan Penal Code.

The Swati sympathisers of the overthrow of the legal system under the Federal Shariat Court have been wrong in their claim that the population of Swat wants the reintroduction of the shariat operative under the Wali of Swat because the “infidel” system of Pakistani injustice is dilatory and corrupt. A lot of hype has been created by generally acknowledging, without proof, that the Wali had a shariat system so pure it is worth taking back through the Taliban.

The truth is that the system under the Wali was not shariat at all. It was a system of qazi courts unseparated from the courts run by the Wali and his elite supporters, and there were no hudood laws as under the 14th Amendment. No punishments, like the cutting of hands and stoning to death, were given; offenders were usually punished with terms in jail. It is true that the extension of normal laws into the valley in 1970 brought in the systemic flaws of the rest of the country, but since then Swat also saw a measure of prosperity and happiness that it has lost under the shariat of Taliban. (Daily Times, 24 March 2009)
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Washington Post: CJ should teach restraint to politicians

By Anwar Iqbal
Friday, 20 Mar, 2009 (Dawn)

Mr Chaudhry is seen by many middle-class Pakistanis as representing the rule of law: Washington Post.—Reuters

WASHINGTON: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry could set an example for the political leaders by embracing restraint and compromise —qualities sorely missing from Pakistani politics, says the lead editorial in The Washington Post on Thursday.

The newspaper describes the lawyers’ movement as ‘a third secular force’ in Pakistan and notes that Mr Chaudhry is seen by many middle-class Pakistanis as representing the rule of law.

The Post says that the lawyers and judges involved in the movement now have choice of either destroying the country’s fragile democratic system by choosing to reopen old cases involving President Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif or former president Pervez Musharraf.

Noting that Justice Chaudhry led the movement for the rule of law, the newspaper urges him to set an example and save the system by ‘embracing restraint and compromise.’

The Post says that while Pakistan's latest crisis has eased, for the Obama administration, the challenge of political dysfunction in this nuclear-armed state has hardly diminished.

‘As they showed during the past week, Pakistan's civilian and secular political leaders are more concerned with destroying each other than with fighting the extremists who are rapidly gaining strength in the country,’ the newspaper adds.

‘While saying they recognise the jihadist threat, Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif have resumed their ruthless competition parties’ that dominated national politics in the 1990s.

The newspaper blamed both leaders for using ‘undemocratic tactics.’ It notes that Mr Sharif chose to fight the government mostly in the streets rather than in Parliament, while Mr Zardari tried to block last weekend's protests with mass arrests and media censorship.

The Post pointed out that in the past; Pakistan's political feuding led to military coups, which have been tolerated if not welcomed by the United States. ‘But in the era of the Taliban and al Qaeda, which grow stronger with each new crisis in Islamabad, that pattern must be broken,’ the newspaper warns.

‘Pakistan's military leadership and the Obama administration need to play a stabilising role for the civilian leaders by arbitrating and limiting their conflicts.’

They should insist on faithfulness to the rule of law and to the democratic process, rather than picking a winner —in the case of the United States —or directly intervening, in the case of the military, the Post adds.

It also urges the Obama administration and the Pakistan Army to press for agreement on the country's main enemy —jihadism —and a comprehensive strategy for confronting it.

The Obama administration should recognise that it cannot combat the threat of terrorism in Afghanistan and western Pakistan without tackling the larger issues of governance in both countries, the newspaper notes.

‘The events of the past week showed that the United States must help to foster a stable and representative government in Islamabad. The same principle applies in Kabul,’ the Post concludes.

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Raza Rumi: Suicide democrats

Suicide democrats

Wednesday, March 04, 2009 Raza Rumi I am appalled by the recent events that have yet again stirred instability and uncertainty into Pakistani politics. Those of us who voted in last year's elections expected that the political leaders and Pakistan's political elites would learn a lesson from our unfortunate history. We also expected the lawyers' movement, headed by men of extraordinary calibre, to display sagacity and vision and contribute to the consolidation of a democratic culture. However, what we witnessed was a complete rejection of the Feb 18 polls by the leading lights of the movement, and a few other naïve political actors. When the electorate voted in large numbers and returned the two mainstream political parties to the parliament, the lawyers, instead of accepting that they were wrong to boycott elections, insisted on their narrow and bourgeois interpretation of the term "rule of law." Sadly, law, rights and constitutionalism are personalised through the idolisation of the deposed chief justice, as if Pakistan were still a mediaeval kingdom, where the bad King (Musharraf) had to be overthrown, and the good Qazi (Justice Iftikhar) had to be "restored" and vested with all moral, political, executive, military and judicial powers. The rightwing media has further whipped this game and brought the popular and well-meaning Sharif in direct confrontation with the federal government on this single issue. President Zardari, whom we all hoped had learned his lessons from jail, endless court trials and exile, would act with vision and leadership. Similarly, the Supreme Court, led by Justice Dogar, might have gone an extra mile to prove its neutrality. Alas, how wrong we were! It is amazing that the long marches, threats of violence and agitation, and questionable imposition of the governor's rule in the largest province of the country are taking place at a time when the Taliban are capturing one district after another. The media and civil society, instead of bringing down the creaky edifice of democracy, should be pressurising political leaders to act with maturity and not wrangle. Given the hysteria of the last few days, since the disqualification of the Sharif brothers, the media is portraying the situation as one with no solution. Enemies of democracy, the traditional forces that have always sabotaged civilian rule, are smiling at this imbroglio. There is no paucity of solutions: there are legal and constitutional means whereby the legislature can amend the Constitution on the eligibility of politicians to contest elections and hold offices. A review petition can always be filed that could look at the questions of law pertaining to this matter. Similarly, the promulgation of another NRO is not beyond the realm of the possible. Politics is about bargains and adjustments to strengthen the representative system, rather than bringing it down at every inconvenient juncture. The PPP must take the initiative to avoid further fissures in the tenuous federation called Pakistan. The current posturing and gung-ho behaviour of the PPP's Punjab leaders need to be arrested by the central leadership. The PML-N and, in particular, its Quaid, Mian Nawaz Sharif, should also rise above the rhetoric of the 1990s and display flexibility that is essential to a functional democracy. The PML-N has little support in the three smaller provinces of Pakistan and its current rhetoric and thundering against President Zardari, who represents the smaller federating units, is not a good omen. A group of political activists torched the memorial of Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi, and there have been strong reactions across the country, especially in Sindh. Why blame the bomb blasts at funerals and mosques when such is the prevalent culture of protest. If the deposed chief justice has to be restored then the matter must be brought before the parliament and solved through constitutional means. One cannot play the politics of constitutionalism and find solutions in executive orders. If Mr Sharif will lead an agitation with the lawyers who are now placed on the other side of the democratic divide, he will not only engineer the fall of the central government, and the PPP, but will also sign the deed of death for the future of democratic politics in Pakistan. Over fifty deposed judges have taken fresh oaths under the policy of the sitting government. When the incumbent judiciary is trampled and defamed, the detractors forget that it includes all those judges who resisted Musharraf's emergency. Once an individual is restored to the top slot, will it become legitimate overnight or the incumbent judges would be fired for being part of the "naqli" judiciary? The civic activism since 2007 was a harbinger of change in Pakistan. The lawyers' movement is de-legitimising democracy and political parties (including the largest and perhaps the only national party). One may ask whose purpose is being served here. Is it not what the leaders of the Taliban and other extremist groups maintain about democracy by calling it "kufr"? The establishment and its proxies must not win this game. At present it seems that both the mainstream political parties and their obstinate leaders are bound to create a situation similar to 1958, 1977 and 1999. However, this time the cost of unrest and confrontation will be detrimental to our future. The vicious cycle, emanating from our inability to handle political squabbles, will this time give way to erosion of democratic space won today with sacrifices, toils and struggles. The writer blogs at razarumi.com and edits two e-zines: Pak Tea House and Lahore Nama. Email: razarumi@gmail.com

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=165518
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Moonis Elahi "should be" the next Chief Minister of Punjab...

Manipulations in full swing for top slot

Nasir Jamal
Saturday, 28 Feb, 2009 | 05:22 AM PST |

Former ruling party Pakistan Muslim League leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (R) and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.—Reuters/File

LAHORE: Three days after imposition of the governor’s rule in Punjab, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is yet to come up with a feasible plan to form its government in the province.

All that it has been able to conjure up so far is meek voices that have been drowned by the emotional chorus whipped up by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on the disqualification of its leaders and fall of its government in the province.

Governor Salmaan Taseer, who had predicted formation of a PPP government in Punjab – the first in more than 30 years – long before the Supreme Court verdict against the Sharif brothers, never tired of giving controversial statements till taking charge as the chief executive of Punjab but he is nowhere to be seen or heard now.

His aides told Dawn that the governor was ‘busy in urgent administrative and other official matters relating to provincial government’.

PPP leader Tanvir Ashraf Kaira claimed at a press conference on Friday that his party was going to form the next provincial government. But he appeared to have no clue as to who was going to be the PPP’s candidate for the chief minister’s post. Nor did he say how the party planned to go about forming the government.

Earlier, PPP parliamentary party leader Raja Riaz had said that the party leadership was in contact with all political forces represented in the provincial assembly – including the PML-Q, some PML-N dissidents, the PML-F and the MMA.

If the former senior minister in the Shahbaz Sharif government were to be believed, the PPP should have finalised arrangements for forming a coalition with the PML-Q, the party holding the balance in Punjab.

PML-Q information secretary Tariq Azeem appeared to suggest to the contrary when he said a majority within his party felt that the PPP had violated the popular mandate by imposing the governor’s rule in the province.

‘The feeling in the party is that it would negate the spirit of democracy to side against the popular mandate,’ he said while talking to Dawn from Islamabad by telephone.

At the same time, he said it would be premature to say what position his party would take. ‘It’s a crucial issue and will be taken up by the party leadership at its central executive committee meeting next week. None of our leaders, including Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, has taken a definitive stance on whether to side with the PPP or the PML-N (when the provincial assembly elects the leader of the house).’

The PML-Q’s ‘indecisiveness’ is popularly being interpreted as its efforts to raise the stakes in the power game in Punjab. It is believed that the PML-Q is demanding chief minister’s post for Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s son, Moonis Elahi, or Senate chairmanship for Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the defence ministry.

But Mian Atta Mohammad Maneka, the leader of dissident PML-Q members of the Punjab Assembly is supporting the PML-N ‘unconditionally’. ‘

We have no demands or conditions. If the need arises, the Unification Group (the name of the PML-Q forward block in the Punjab Assembly) will side by the PML-N for the formation of its government,’ he told reporters after attending the Punjab PML-N parliamentary party meeting at the Sharif’s Raiwind Estate.

Maneka claimed that 35 PML-Q legislators, out of a total of 85, were supporting the PML-N and 33 had attended the meeting. The remaining two could not come as one of them was in France and the other could not be informed about the meeting.

The claim, however, could not be verified independently. Some of the PML-Q dissidents later participated in the protest against the governor’s rule outside the Punjab Assembly under the leadership of Shahbaz Sharif.

He claimed that no PML-Q leader or legislator favoured an alliance with the PPP. ‘Only Pervaiz Elahi wants it to win chief minister’s post for his son.’

The dissident PML-Q leader, who was critical of the PPP for imposing the governor’s rule, said the survival of the federation without Punjab was difficult. To a question, he said the Unification Group was not afraid of the threats of disqualification for voting for the PML-N, ruling out the remotest possibility of going with his party if its leadership decided to cooperate with the PPP.

The participation of the PML-Q dissidents and PML-F legislators in a meeting led PML-N Rana Sanaullah to claim that his party had support of 217 legislators. It needed only 186 votes to win the election of the leader of the house.

‘We have numerical strength to form our government whenever the assembly session is convened. Nobody should doubt it,’ he said, adding the PPP would not have imposed the governor’s rule if it could muster the support of the required number of legislators to install its government.

It may be recalled that the PML-N’s candidate Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui had secured 201 votes from Punjab in the presidential elections in September last year.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/news/pakistan/manipulations-in-full-swing-for-top-slot--bi

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Abbas Ather's analysis and a 'free of charge advice'

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A sincere advice by Ataul Haq Qasmi

Some relevant comments:

pakistanthinks said:

Sharif’s can’t sustain an agitation in absence of favorable govt, bureaucracy, army and courts. They have either shown their muscles when they had power behind them or have opted for fleeing out of country. This time it seems, they will fizzle out in months.
In all honesty, I see them marginalized in next elections to even fewer districts and vultures like Imran Khan will be happy in their heart at their demise. Their best bet to be flexible and be part of the system and negotiate a middle way with PPP. Else they will lose all…. They should be part of the system and wait for their moment - that’s the only chance they have…. Lawyers, Imran Khan etc have nothing to lose - Sharif’s have a lot to lose.

Vision said:

My sincere advice for PML(N) is that they should just not only say but show; first of all they must tell their followers that they should not destroy public and private property, they can protest but why should they damage their own assests, it is not AZ’s or someone else’s property.

Rampaging the courts and their disrespect, tradition has been started by no one but PML(N), and now no court seems to be the pillar of the state. When PML(N) comes in power they will do similar or worse. Both the parties have been well tried out.

doublepolitics said:

@Pakistanthinks

Sharifs have already lost all of what they have. Nawaz shahbaz cnnot contest elections, nawaz cannot become prime minister for third time, shahbaz has now by default lost the opportunity to become CM for third time.

If they want to be in the major helm of affairs now they will be needing a constitutional ammendment by the Parliament. This is the only way for which they are protesting too much and are trying to bring government to that.

Have not you heard Mian Nawaz sharief saying that If this issue is not resolved, they will extend the protests and de-stababilization all acroos the country. I think he gave his clear message to zardari.

doublepolitics said:

Nawaz sharif has played wrong. i agree with Zardari’s statemtent that if Sharief’s would have talked to him rather than going for turmoil, they could have sorted out some way to end this situation.

I dont know why Mian sb is playing in the hands of lawyers and Imran khan type of people. He must have realised that PML N has its own rules of the games and it must not be swayed by any of such elements who want a clash just for their own sake.

BY the way PML Q is playing a very mature role. They asked zardari to come to their home rather than chaudhries going to zardari. Mushahid is amazingly saying that they are just observors as they are not interested to form goverment and that the mendate of PML N must be respected. WOW

mediawatch said:

Nawaz must not play in the hands of those who even dont have a seat in any of the assemblies. They are playing at the hands of hidden forces and want Mian nawaz sharief to be out of the game of politics and Bhuttos are out of it.

Mian needs to recognize such people, good or bad but its the reality that Shariefs have to go with Zardari and Zardari has to go with Shariefs no matter either of them is in government or opposition.

Nawaz Sb hosh say kaam lain josh say nahin.

doublepolitics said:

By the way Mian sb is too innocent. IF the decision would have been in his favour for him Zardari would have been the best person on earth. Anyhow, its great to listen from him that he is ready to talk through Parliament. Now its time for Zardari to come forward as Sharif’s are the aggrieved party.

Faarigh Jazbati said:

The biggest loss of the current political crises is not the PLMN or PPP. It is Imran khan who has been pushed to the side completely. If you look into the demographic of the voters, IK is fighting for the same voters and the center right political views.

I think IK is in a political shock and does not know how to react to the current situation. This is what you get when oneswhole politics is based upon emotional subjects/issues and devoid of any political calculation of different political scenarios.

PLMN has taken the center stage of pakistani politics and they are the one who are dictating the events. IK is sitting on the sideline only to follow the events and unable to generate/create a political reality which will/can take the focus away from the PLNM/PPP politics.

Adonis said:

Behaviour of PTI diehards is really weird ……. If NS does not fully support Lawyers decisions, he is accused of betrayal, if he fully supports lawyers decisions he is accused of hijacking lawyer’s movement ……

So these guys should make up their mind about what they want NS to do …

But then we all know what they want…..they want NS to simply disappear some where… so that “mirza yaar can roam freely in deserted streets”…..

This reminds of an old joke …

—The son of village mirasi asked his father what would happen if the chaudhri of village dies. The elder mirasi replied that chaudhri’s son will become the next chaudhri. If chaudhri’s son also dies then, asked the junior mirasi. Then his nephew will become chaudhri, came the reply. What if the nephew also dies? asked mirasi’s son. Now the elder mirasi understood what the real question was and replied, “Son! even if the whole village dies, still you can never be a chaudhri”. —–

So my commiserations to these PTI diehards who are so used to day-dreaming….

Source: pk politics

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Aitzaz Ahsan, PPP and Long March: A critical perspective - by Abbas Ather

Abbas Ather offers a critical perspective on Aitzaz Ahsan's relationship with Pakistan People's Party.

Also read:

An op-ed on this topic by Abbas Ather:

http://letusbuildpakistan.blogspot.com/2009/02/aitzaz-ahsan-and-ppp-critical.html

PPP suspends Ch Aitzaz Ahsan as member of Central Executive Committee (CEC)

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PPP suspends Ch Aitzaz Ahsan as member of Central Executive Committee (CEC)

PPP suspends Ch Aitzaz as member CEC


LAHORE—Jehangir Badar, Secretary General Pakistan Peoples Party told while talking to reporters that membership of Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan from the Central Executive Committee has been suspended with immediate, here on Tuesday.
He further said that Aitzaz has the right appeal against the decision to the Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, if he wants to do so.
“He conduct within the party was under observation for quite some time and the party leadership has arrived at a conclusion that the paths of Mr. Aitzaz and party are now separate”.
Aitzaz, a former President of Supreme Court Bar Association and a prominent leader of lawyers movement has been criticizing government from deviation of its promises of restoration of SC judges deposed by the former President General Pervez Musharraf.

	No knowledge of show cause notice, says Aitzaz
	Updated at: 2215 PST, Tuesday, February 17, 2009
	KARACHI: Responding to news on media regarding the issuance of show cause notice to Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, due to taking active part in lawyers’ movement, he said, “I have no knowledge of any show cause notice.”, Geo News reported Tuesday. Responding to a question Aitzaz said, I can say nothing about how would I respond to show cause notice as I have not received any notice so far.

Shame on you, Zardari. Is that what you call democracy?

Aitizaz says wont’t quit PPP, lawyers’ movement

ISLAMABAD: Former President of Supreme Court Bar Association Aitizaz Ahsan said he would not quit the Peoples Party and lawyers’ movement.

Talking to media here, Aitizaz said we could not differ from the promises made by Benazir Bhutto and we are struggling to fulfill her promises.

Replying to a question about a notice of suspension from Party’s membership, Aitizaz said Party has served him a notice, which he would review when he reached Lahore. It is better to ask Jahangir Badar why the notice has been issued.

He said without permission of Asif Zardari, issuance of such notice has not been possible. I am a Party member and abiding Party’s promises. I could not leave Party and lawyers movement. He recalled that Asif Zardari made written commitments thrice for the release of Iftikhar Chaudhry.

پارٹی چھوڑوں گا نہ وکلاء کو: اعتزاز

شہزاد ملک بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، اسلام آباد

	آصف علی زرداری کی ہدایت پر مجھے شوکاز نوٹس جاری کیا گیا ہے: اعتزاز

حکمراں جماعت پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کی مرکزی مجلس عاملہ کے رکن چوہدری اعتزاز احسن نے کہا ہے کہ لانگ مارچ کے لیے حکومت سے اجازت لینے کی ضرورت نہیں ہے۔

بدھ کے روز معزول چیف جسٹس افتخار محمد چوہدری کی رہائش گاہ کے باہر میڈیا کے نمائندوں سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے انہوں نے کہا کہ صدر آصف علی زرداری نے معزول چیف جسٹس افتخار محمد چوہدری سمیت اعلی عدالتوں کی ججوں کی بحالی کے سلسلے میں تین مرتبہ قوم کے سامنے تحریری معاہدے کیے جن پر ابھی تک عملدرآمد نہیں ہوسکا۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ پارٹی کے جنرل سیکرٹری جہانگیر بدر نے پارٹی کے شریک چیئرمین آصف علی زرداری کی ہدایت پر انہیں شوکاز نوٹس جاری کیا ہے۔

اعتزاز احسن کا کہنا تھا کہ وہ بھی اب پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے لیڈر ہیں۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ وہ اور پارٹی میں ان کے ہم خیال کارکن اس حق میں ہیں کہ حکمراں جماعت نے معزول ججوں کی بحالی کے سلسلے میں جو وعدے کیے ہیں ان کو پورا کیا جانا چاہیے۔

ایک سوال کے جواب میں انہوں نے کہا کہ پاکستان مسلم لیگ نواز سمیت سول سوسائٹی اور زندگی کے مختلف شعبہ ہائے زندگی سے تعلق رکھنے والے افراد آئندہ ماہ اسلام آباد میں وکلاء کے دھرنے میں شرکت کریں گے۔ انہوں نے وزراء سے کہا کہ وہ بھی وکلاء کے لانگ مارچ میں شریک ہوں۔

اعتزاز احسن نے کہا کہ نہ تو وہ پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی چھوڑیں گے اور نہ ہی وہ وکلاء تحریک سےعلیحدہ ہوں گے۔

پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی نے پارٹی کے سینئر رہنما وزیر اعتزاز احسن کی سینٹرل ایگزیکٹو کمیٹی کی رکنیت معطل کردی ہے اور پارٹی قیادت کی طرف سے انہیں نوٹس بھجوادیئے گئے ہیں۔

پیپلز پارٹی کے سیکرٹری جنرل جہانگیر بدر کے مطابق اعتزاز احسن کے خلاف یہ کارروائی پارٹی ڈسپلن کی خلاف وزری کرنے پر کی گئی ہے۔ تاہم ان کی پارٹی رکنیت ابھی برقرار ہے۔

اعتزاز احسن کے دفتر سے جاری ہونےوالے بیان کے مطابق وہ بینظیر بھٹو کی وصیت پر عمل کرتے ہوئے معزول چیف جسٹس افتخار محمد چودھری کی بحالی کی جدوجہد کر رہے ہیں اور وہ اس کےلیے بڑی سے بڑی قربانی دینے کو تیار ہیں۔

Source: BBC Urdu dot com

.....

Jahangir Badar's "Notus" to Aitzaz Ahsan - Hilarious

To,

Chory Tza Zessun,

Brister at La, LLM

Daktrate in La (Onris Kaza, Can Tub)

Member Central Xective Kmaitee

Dear Chory Saab,

In cardence with rules and sub rules, las, bye las and inlas of the Paty, in my capasty as the Secty Journal of the Paty and in consultation with the Shriek Chairman, I am sending you this notus. Tis imaptant that you take this seriously and rpoat back to the undersigned within one week.

Tis true that you are my teacher in la. That does not mean that you are my father in la. I have lunt my lessons well, and as a result, I have become xpert liar. My repootation is suppredding slowly slowly and I am naoo famous from Choona Mandi to Pani Walla Talab. I have also quired qualfications in hairdressing, inciyun of boils, bone setting and circumciyun. But my biggest luv as you know is Englush language. I can give you free lessons in Englush, so that you can become my bedient pewpal.

Dear Chory Saab,

Shriek Chairman is very angry. You are going to different different places and making lang lang sapeeches. You are going to different different cities and making lang marach. Why are you making lang marach sir ji? Are you Chairman Maoo? Are you Shriek Chairman? Are you Secty Journal? Then why are you curyating kill kill? So that Miansaab can go for the kill? Do you want to kill the Paty? Do you want to kill the Gormint? Nuf is nuf. It is time either or shut up or to eat phutta.

If you don’t want to eat phutta, if you are so fand of lang marach, why don’t you go to Mreeka? Why don’t give a dharna on the Pencil Vania Avenue? You can say to Obama, ‘Obamay, don’t send drones to tack us. Don’t send Hall Brook to tack us. Send us dallars. Don’t turn us into a cloony. Send Jaraj Clooney. Don’t send Anne Patterson. Send Angelina Jolie. You give uranium to India, so that they can make their bums bigger and you drap big bums on us, such as Praise Musharraf. Why don’t you treat us same to same? Hain Ji?’

Butt no, you want to eat the head of Shriek Chairman every day. This is the only thing you are goood at.

Can you not see that his hands are full? Swat is burning. There is a crisis. He has to sign the Sharia La. There is the pressure of time. He has to learn to sign his name fust. He is trying under my superviyyun. Thanks Gad, he has ejucated advisors like me, who don’t go on lang marach. By the grace of Gad, he will be ready before the governor of Pakhtunkhwa is beheaded.

I think Chory Saab, we should do a tie up and have a chat. We should do it privutly, so that nobady is watching when we are tied up. We can have a chat in Choona Mandi, or in Zaman Parak. But the best chat is in Bano Bzar in Nar Kali.

Let’s have a chat there,

Undersigned,

Mhamd Jungeer Badar

Secty Journal

Source: http://www.ibitians.com/2009/03/01/jahangir-badars-notus-aitazaz-ahsan-hilarious/

.....

Read a related column on this topic by Abbas Ather:

http://letusbuildpakistan.blogspot.com/2009/02/aitzaz-ahsan-and-ppp-critical.html

Also:

Pakistan’s left towards rights. Partners in crime?

Read more...

Nawaz Sharif says good-bye to Long March?

Nawaz Sharif says good-bye to Long March?


Friday, February 13, 2009
Lawyers didn’t consult us on sit-in: Nawaz

By our correspondent

LAHORE: PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said the federal government did not take the PML-N into confidence before making any decision in tackling the Mumbai issue. He was talking to reporters after his meeting with US envoy Richard Holbrooke. He criticised the PPP government for further complicating the probe issue and said it should take clear action against the responsible and avoid keeping people in the dark. On the issue of the lawyers’ long march, he said the lawyers’ community had not taken the PML-N leadership into confidence while announcing the schedule of their sit-in in Islamabad. He said the PML-N was committed to its stance that they would support the long march. (The News)

....

Islamabad sit-in

Lawyers slam PML-N’s indecision Friday, February 13, 2009 By Wajih Ahmad Sheikh LAHORE: The lawyers’ community on Thursday strongly condemned the PML-N leadership’s surprising silence over the issue of joining their sit-in protest in Islamabad on March 16. The legal fraternity held its routine protest rally on Thursday on The Mall in which they openly criticised the PML-N leadership for its indecision to participate in their sit-in. Majority of the lawyers were of the opinion that PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif had linked their support to the lawyers community conditional with the disqualification case pending in the SC. Lawyers speaking at the general house meeting of the Lahore Bar Association also asked the PML-N leaders to take a clear decision whether they will join the sit-in or not.After holding the general house meeting, lawyers of the LBA marched from the Aiwan-e-Adl to the GPO Chowk where they were joined by lawyers of the Lahore High Court Bar Association. They were chanting slogans against the government and in favour of deposed chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry. Later, the rally started march towards the Faisal Chowk, Charing Cross. The activists of PML-N, Jamaet-e-Islami, Pakhtoon Khawa Milli Awami Party, Tehrik-e-Insaf, Tehrik-e-Khaksaar, Labour Party and Jamiat Ulema Pakistan also attended the rally. Activists of political parties where chanting slogans in favour of their respective leaderships and their parties. After reaching the Faisal Chowk, the lawyers’ leaders delivered speeches wherein they pledged to demonstrate a historic long march and sit-in that would continue till the restoration of the chief justice and other sacked judges. They said the other segments of the society, including traders, doctors, engineers, students and political parties, were united on the point of reinstatement of the sacked chief justice and his colleagues. They warned the government against creating hurdles in the way of participants of the long march because the flood of people would sweep them away. He said the people who think that lawyers could be intimidated by launching a crackdown, live in a fool’s paradise. They said ‘black coats’ had rendered sacrifices in the past and were ready to give more. After staying half an hour at the Faisal Chowk, the protesters peacefully dispersed while the traffic on The Mall and its adjoining roads remained suspended for more than an hour. (The News)

Read more...

Imran blames lawyers for not consulting politicians

It seems that lawyers have smelt that the ISI's new poodle Imran Khan might try to use the Long March to promote his pro-Taliban and anti-democracy agenda...

	Imran blames lawyers for not consulting politicians
	Updated at: 0200 PST, Friday, February 13, 2009
	LAHORE: Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) Imran Khan said government is engaged in disrupting lawyers-politicians coordination to make lawyers’ movement unfruitful. He was speaking at Lahore District Bar here. He regretted, despite the fact that lawyers’ leadership failed to include political parties while taking resolve of long march to be staged from March 12-16, political parties have decided to actively participate in long march shoulder to shoulder by lawyers. Chairman PTI hoped Pakistan will become such a state on March 16 which, father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah dreamt of. Imran feared corrupt figures of our society will continue to resist against independence of judiciary in Pakistan. (The News)

Some relevant comments:


shamwariz said:

Imran and Sharifs are in Fix . Imran wants to ride on the liar Movement to clinch to the power. He used twice these techniques in the past but he failed miserably. First he Joined Dictator Zia then he jumped on to the bandwagon of Musharraf but he failed. Now his vice-president is Hamid Khan who is leading figure in liar movements. Imran doesn’t have the following to manage Dharna himself so he wants Sharifs men on whose strength he could fulfill his agenda. Sharifs are in fix because they are bound by the deal with international brokers who managed them out of country and brought them back, they are tying their hands, Second biggest worry for sharifs is that their power base is in Punjab and same is the case for Imran, Qazi and liars. Sharifs don’t want to share their powerbase in Punjab with anyone. If Sharifs join Imran, Qazi and liars then they have to share the powerbase with them. Sharifs have a Government in Punjab and would like to to prolong the judges issue till next election so they could use it again in next election for their success but on contrary Imran, Qazi and liars missed the bus in boycotting these elections so they want to bring down this system as early as possible so they could use public emotion behind liar Movement and get to power as early as possible.


dara said:

@shamwariz
Good reading into issue, don’t worry about imran Khan supporters they are living in some kind of their own world.

If Imran khan has support in public then why he is so worried about other political parties?

What if Government reinstate Ch Iftikhar , then what issue Imran Khan has?
What pro gramme or manifesto Imran Khan has ? what solution does he has for Talibanization ?

The judicial system needs to changed through constitutional amendment , reinstating or appointing Ch Iftikhar is no solution. He was reinstated as CJ through a supreme court decision, and after that while he was CJ supreme court through a decision let Musharaf run election in uniform.

Imran Khan has no pro gramme or clear agenda, he is using lawyers movement as crutches to get to power , such a parasite.
Read more...

Ansar Abbasi with his venom against Nawaz Sharif this time....

The main target of Ansar Abbasi seems to discredit the largest political parties in Pakistan through all possible means, fair or unfair, and pave way for the shariat of Amir-ul-Momineen Mullah Omar and his Naib Khalifah Baitullah Mehsud. Beardo Ansar Abbasi will hold the "ministry for nashar-o-isha'at" in the Islamic Khilafah of Taliban in Pakistan.

To Ansar Abbasi, Long March is the best pretext to disrupt the fragile democratic order in Pakistan so that Mullah-Military Alliance can once again rule the country.

Sunjian ho jaan galiyan, wich baitullah yaar phiray




Has the virus of pragmatism hit Nawaz Sharif?
News Analysis

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: The champion of an independent judiciary, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), will suffer a serious blow to its credibility and popularity if it shows any sign of dithering on its participation in the lawyers’ long march and sit-in.

The PML-N leadership is meeting in Raiwind, Lahore on Wednesday to chew on the matter amid reports that the party has some reservations about the post-long march strategy of the lawyers and the civil society.

But no one can stop the wagging tongues, saying that the PML-N is going for a major compromise to secure not only its Punjab government but also to save the Sharif brothers from disqualification by the Supreme Court.

Obviously, the PML-N will have to do tremendous soul-searching on the colossal damage that it would sustain by backing out of its support to the planned long march and sit-in. It will have to realise that the elements, who are proposing a soft line, are oblivious of the massive public loss that their party would suffer by appearing to betray the judgesí cause for which the Sharifs have fought relentlessly. Its participation in the long march as well as the sit-in will obviously remain under constant public scrutiny.

The success of the long march and the sit-in would be equally shared by all the participating stakeholders but if it fails, the blame would squarely be placed at the door of the Raiwind Farmhouse.

The vibes and statements from the PML-N have left little or no doubt that their party is looking for lame excuses — blaming the lawyers’ leaders — to stay away at least from the sit-in while it is going to take part in the long march with a controlled participation.

The Sharif brothers have repeatedly admitted that they got votes in last year’s parliamentary elections for their support to the movement for the restoration of the deposed judges. Now, if they participate in the long march and stay away from the sit-in, they would be ridiculing the judgment of their own voters, who would certainly feel disgusted and repentant for supporting them.

Some critics even say if the party keeps itself aloof from the sit-in, which is part of the protest, and merely participates in the long march half-heartedly, then the PML-N’s fate would

be worse than that of the PPP and Nawaz Sharif would be-come Asif Ali Zardari of the

PML-N.

No matter how unpopular the PPP is among the masses, it is at least ruling Islamabad, has governments in Balochistan and Sindh, is a partner in the Frontier government and has a loudmouth governor in Lahore.

Though at the cost of its future, yet the PPP has at least gained something. But the PML-N, if it dithers from its election promise as well as the oath its parliamentarians had taken for the restoration of the Nov 2, 2007 judiciary before the elections, would make itself look like an amateur loser.

While it is important for the lawyers’ fraternity to take the pro-judiciary political parties into confidence and evolve a unified strategy to attain the sole goal of the deposed judges’ restoration, there is no reason for any political party or its leader to get egoistic.

Pragmatism in politics has its advantages but in our case it is nothing but deception and cheating. Perhaps the Raiwind meeting would give some clues to whether the virus of pragmatism has affected Nawaz Sharif as well.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=161907



Read more...

Swat: Taliban terrorists warn lawyers and judges to stop attending the regular courts or risk death.

General Kayani, what is stopping you to arrest Fazullah, your comrade in arms?


Madness in the mountains
Friday, February 06, 2009

The militants who control most of Swat have gone mad. They have now threatened to kill lawyers and judges, as they represent a system that they oppose. Instead of the Constitution and code of law, they wish to impose their own version of Shariah law. What kind of order this would bring can be judged from the evil that seems to be a militant hallmark, unmistakable even when an attempt is made to disguise it behind a thin veneer of false morality. It is this morality that Maulana Fazlullah and his men resort to when they make their threats over the illegal FM radio they continue to run. The latest such threat has been made to the lawyers, with the Swat Bar Association warning all of its 300 members to stop attending the regular courts or risk death. And such threats must be taken seriously given by the brutal manner in which the militants have conducted themselves in the valley. In fact, in the same report which spoke of the threat to the legal community of Swat, was a sorry tale, given by a person none other than the region’s police chief, of how the militants had recently gang-raped and killed four women in Kabal – and a total of nine in all in recent weeks.

Out of fear caused by this terror, leaders of the legal community in Swat have suggested enforcing Sharia. This would be a folly. In the past too deals with militants or attempts to appease them have led nowhere. It is time now to stop them in their tracks. The men of Maulana Fazlullah have run amuck. There can be no doubt about this. It is absurd that some in high places continue to defend them. Force is needed to halt them before they inflict still greater damage. The stories emerging from Swat speak of terrorized people who feel helpless in the face of the brutality unleashed on them. These people live with militants who do not hesitate to kill, to maim, to beat or to ridicule. Business and indeed life itself in that once peaceful valley amidst tall mountains has been paralyzed. The military needs to immediately deliver on its promise to act decisively in Swat. There is so far little evidence that its operation is succeeding. The government’s job is to ensure this happens. Allowing the situation that now exists in Swat to continue, while ministers sit and twiddle their thumbs or make meaningless statements in Islamabad, would be nothing less than a crime against humanity. Every effort must be made to liberate Swat and to place Maulana Fazlullah behind bars to answer for the many crimes he is guilty of before still more mayhem takes hold in a part of the country where the state has completely relinquished its writ.
Read more...

Nawaz Sharif threatens Asif Zardari? An analysis of "Long March"

Nazir Naji






....

Tanvir Qaiser Shahid



Some Comments:

Mohammad Musa Islam Islam Says:

To those who love nawaz shareef: that is your right but don't deny the histry.

1. who was with general jeelani,

2. who was with general zia ,

3. when general zia dismissed junejo government who was with general zia.

4.who was in IJI , it was made by general aslam beg and hameed gul,

5.who supported midnight jackals and main culprits of that action major amir and bregadier Imtiaz were with nawaz shareef or PP

6. relations with COAS from aslam to musharaf were not good at all why,

7. attack on supreme court and relations with sajjad ali shah and finally removal of sajjad ali shah from cj.

8.talking against PCO judges and nominating saeedu zaman siddiqui for the post of president of pakistan who was also a pco judge, he took oath of zia pco now my dear read this and think again

Read more...

Nawaz Leage must not exploit and then ditch the lawyers' movement for political gains....

http://dailywaqt.com/160109/Images/bp-23.gif
Read more...

PPP and PTI (Imran Khan) join hands to support Ziaur Rehman Advocate....

Aitzaz, Hamid in all-out efforts to win LBA polls

PTI Vice Chairman Hamid Khan and PPP lawyers jointly supporting Ziaur Rehman against Tariq Javed a candidate jointly supported by Kurd and Aitzaz Ahsan in LBA elections

PTI VC and PPP’s joint candidate has an effective support of PPP lawyers who recognize Dogar as the real Chief Justice….so PTI VC wants president of LBA to be effectively Dogar supported?….where would LBA and PTI stand in long march if their joint candidate wins?…..

Aitzaz, Hamid in all-out efforts to win LBA polls
By Amir Riaz submitted 15 hours 28 minutes ago

LAHORE - With a week to go for polls to elect new office-bearers of the Lahore Bar Association, both heavy weights of lawyers’ community, Aitzaz Ahsan and Hamid Khan, are making all out efforts to secure victory for their respective candidates for the presidential slot.

Independent observers and surveys, however, suggest that Aitzaz’s backed candidate Ch Tariq Javed is in commanding position mainly due to his role and commitment to lawyers’ movement for restoration of deposed judges.

Interestingly president Supreme Court Bar Association Ali Ahmed Kurd has also endorsed Aitzaz’s decision to support Tariq. On the other hand Rana Ziaur Rehman who is a nominee of Professional Group headed by Hamid Khan, has also the support of PPP’s leader and member Pakistan Bar Council Kazim Khan. Kazim who was once a staunch supporter of lawyers’ movement now recognizes Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar as the real Chief Justice of Pakistan while toeing the party line.

Tariq has secured the support of large number of voters including bigwigs of the Bar like Justice (r) Amir Alam Khan, Abid Hassan Minto, Hakam Qureshi and member Pakistan Bar Council Mian Israrul Haq. They are not only supporting but also campaigning for Ch Tariq Javed.

A recent announcement by lawyers affiliated to Hmaid Khan’s political party, Tehrik-e-Insaf, has also changed the complexion of game in favour of Tariq.
President PTI Lawyers Forum Malik Khalid Awan Saturday announced support for Ch Tariq Javed. Hamid Khan is vice chairman of PTI.

The insiders say though chairman National Coordination Council on lawyers’ movement Aitzaz Ahsan and Hamid Khan have parted ways as far as the LBA election are concerned, yet they are confident of making March 9 long march a success.
The observers say Aitzaz’s relentless efforts in SCBA’s recent election had helped Kurd secure an easy win over PPP backed candidate and the same could happen in the LBA election.

A large number of lawyers disbelieve this notion that Professional Group or its leadership is only spearheading the lawyers’ movement. They argue that majority of the lawyers are not affiliated with Hamid Khan’s group but still they are wholeheartedly adhered to the movement for independence of judiciary. Tariq was also the diehard supporter of Ali Ahmed Kurd in SCAB election.

Aitzaz says he is backing Tariq Javed for his full support to the lawyers’ movement as he suffered the hardships of detention when he (Tariq) was arrested on November 5 last year in a crackdown on lawyers in the wake of emergency and PCO promulgated by former dictator Pervez Musharraf.

On two vice president seats, four candidates are in the run. They are MR Awan, Khalid Chaudhry, Ghulam Abbas Sahir and Bushra Qamar. MR Awan is strong contender because of his popularity among the lawyers for the role he played in lawyers’ movement. Ch Khalid is also being considered as a potential candidate and is in a position to turn table on Ghulam Sahir. For VP Model Town seat, Ch Muhammad Akbar Gujjar and Anwar Kazmi vying for the slot.

For two seats of secretaries, Ahmed Yar Chawali and Khurram Rafiq Shaad are in the winning position.

Syed Fiyyaz Jaffar and Fiaza Naeem Paracha are in the field for the slot of joint secretary where Jaffar is seemingly in a better position. For finance secretary, Naeem Chohan and Asif Shakar are contesting against each other.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Lahore/08-Jan-2009/Aitzaz-Hamid-in-allout-efforts-to-win-LBA-polls/


Express, 14 Jan 2009

Some Comments:

Muhammad Usman Says:

Imran Khan Fan club scratching head.

You know what we should leave lawyer politics to them and do our work.

Who cares about small lawyer body election.

May be who cares about hamid khan.

Let us discuss national security and solutions.

...

SnrCtzn Says:
Is it not really, very saddening but not SO STRANGE, that these days, we commonly find ‘white’ sheep turned into ‘black’, & that too, overnight? First,it was SOB Mush, then PPP’s Zardari, Yusaf Gilani, & their long list of cohorts, like Shery Rehman,etc; & finally now those from the ‘right-minded’ community of lawyers?
It also ‘boggles’ ones’s mind (or it startles one with amazement or fear,) as to what is happening on the political scene , & that too, in quick succession
? Agreed, that our national history is full of ‘lotas’ or turn-coats to a cause, but what changes in political thinking are being reported on daily-basis; is greatly ASTOUNDING, to say the least.

@ FahadAfridi.
Wether this new nomenclature for PTI (i.e; Pak Taliban-Injustice) is your own coined or borrowed; whatever, it is SIMPLY GREAT.

.....

Read this crappy clarification from PTI

======================

http://insaf.pk/News/tabid/60/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1676/Default.aspx

The following clarification is in reference to the item regarding Mr Hamid Khan’s role in the Lahore Bar Association elections in the Nation.

1. This issue is related to two candidates Rana Zia Abdur Rehman, who is being supported by the Professional group headed by Mr Hamid Khan, and Chadhry Tariq Javed who is a nominee of the Khosa and Malik Qayyum groups.

2. Rana Zia Abdur Rehman has been in the fore front of the lawyer’s movement.

3. Ch. Tariq Javed is also supported by the People’s Party while Mr Ali Ahmed Kurd and all other vanguards of the lawyer’s movement are supporting Rana Ziaur Rehman. PML, JI and PTI lawyers are also in favor of Rana Ziaur Rehman.

4. The insinuation in some communications forwarded to a lot of people that Mr Hamid Khan has ever harmed the interests of the PTI are false and mischievous. In fact he is the founder member of the party and is a moral anchor of the Lawyers movement as well as party policies. The fact that he did not get arrested during the lawyer’s movement when Mr Imran Khan and others got arrested was because of the fact that the party at that stage wanted to avoid his arrest as he is also the Senior Vice President of the Party.

I hope the above clarification shall put to rest the controversy being created in the Lahore Bar Association elections with regard to Mr Hamid Khan’s role.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Arif Alvi,

Secretary General,

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

...

Ramda says:

This Alvi guy and his son moron Awab Alvi, both are Jamaat-e-Ghair Islami agents. They used to work for the JI. Now they have been asked by the ISI to serve the PTI. Naya jaal laye puranay khilaari.

....

Jamhooriat Says:

what kind of clarification is this?

“The fact that he did not get arrested during the lawyer’s movement when Mr Imran Khan and others got arrested was because of the fact that the party at that stage wanted to avoid his arrest as he is also the Senior Vice President of the Party.”

WTF!!!!
i am disappointed (specially with Dr Alvi)that PTI has leaders of so low calibre who cold not even handle this small issue properly.

...

Muhammad Usman Says:

What PTI should do is identify anchors and journalist on the payroll of PPP/ PMLN.

One journalist i know , however is HAROON RASHEED working day and night to spread IK message.

Nation and News in propaganda against PTI

Both reporting same .

Funny

Asking questions regarding some thing is like questioning God .

gOOD Luck for democratic culture in fan club and absorbing capacity of agroup on cticism

CHEERS

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kafka8 Says:

@tk

alvi guy on PTI site categorically states that all three are supporting the same guy.

the dentist alvi is a moron..but thats another story.

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nota Says:

@kafka8
“alvi guy on PTI site categorically states that all three are supporting the same guy.”

How can that be true? Then what are we doing here?

“the dentist alvi is a moron..but thats another story.”
I believe he is the son of PTI Secretary General Dr. Alvi (who himself is a dentist).

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Another clarification by PTI:

PAKISTAN TEHREEK E INSAF PRESS RELEASE - January 9th 2009

In a meeting with lawyers delegation Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Central Information Secretary Omar Sarfraz Cheema said that PTI lawyers wing will extend its support in Bar Elections after consultation with the party leadership. He further said we are struggling for the judicial and social justice since foundation of PTI in 1996. PTI has fully supported the lawyers movement and its leadership and workers also faced hardships and were sent to the jail during the movement. To stand by the lawyers movement pakistan tehreek-e-insaf has sacrificed to boycott the elections and we are committed to struggle for the independence of judiciary and reinstatement of chief justice iftikhar ch alongwith other deposed judges.

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tharapolitics Says:

One of the “best” confused and uncleared statement issued by PTI information sec. Issue is still blurred and infact this PTI guy issued more confusing statement.
Firstly, PTI exposed by the statement of their Sec Gen, Dr. Alvi and now party is more exposed by their untrained and unskilled info Sec

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Malek Says:

noted the following comments by PTI member….bit disturbing to see such comments

http://www.insaf.pk/News/tabid/60/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1676/Default.aspx#Comments

‘By nauman shah @ Friday, January 09, 2009 1:01 PM | (Nauman_shah)
I just want to deliver a message to all my PTI friends. I recommend you guys to visit pkpolitics, especially when there are few idiots making derogatory remarks against IK and PTI. That way if attack from all corners are coming those cowards will run away and wont be able to respond. I personally am making this recommendation because I lose my cool sitting here on the computer seat and want to break that guys face talking against IK. Its just a suggestion.

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Jamhooriat Says:

This clarification raises more questions about PTI weak organisation and specially about chain of command.

Dr. Alvi had issued a clarification personally and available on PTI website and then their information sec. has issued official press release.

was dr Alvi so dumb that he had no idea about official stance??

its getting worst for them , they need to fix it before they are exposed more n more.

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chottibibi Says:

Now IMRAN (my leader) started to play words game…haha…all are same…instead of saying “we condemed the acts of Hamid Khan or We will not support anti CJ Iftikhar bar” they are saying it is bad but we are doing it…..

Read more...

How General Zia has sabotaged lawyers´ movement from grave

Abbas Zaidi

When General Musharraf deposed Ifitikhar Chaudhry, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, on 9 March 2007, he did not realize there would be such an endless and widespread chain of protests all over the country. It was for the first time in Pakistan´s history that a judge had defied a general´s orders by deciding a few cases on merit, i.e., against a dictator´s wish and in the common man´s interest. It was the unprecedented power of the popular protest that led to the restoration of Justice Chaudhry four months later in July 2007. But General Musharraf did not accept the return of the Chief Justice, and on 3 November 2007 he imposed martial law in Pakistan and deposed Justice Chaudhry. It was a unique martial law in the political history of the world because it was directed only against the person of Justice Chaudhry. All the other institutions of Pakistan—e.g., the cabinet and the parliament—remained untouched. . . .

Although General Musharraf has been consigned to the gutter where his predecessors—General Zia being the wickedest and most notorious of the pack—Justice Chaudhry still has not been restored to his rightful office. The present democratically government is reluctant to restore him because it claims that he has become controversial by aligning himself with politicians, and hence his impartiality is suspect. Like millions of Pakistanis, I believe that the restoration of Justice Chaudhry is an act of faith to me. He, I believe, stands for freedom in Pakistan—freedom in the widest sense of the word. If he is not restored, judiciary in Pakistan will continue to remain subservient to generals, bureaucrats, and politicians. So when the leaders of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association announced that Justice Chaudhry would deliver a speech at a lawyers´ meeting in Rawalpindi on 3 November to mark the first anniversary of his sacking, I could not wait to hear the man who has been a hero, a savior indeed, to the people of Pakistan.

I cancelled all my engagements in order to sit in front of TV and watch the man who is no less than a prophet in these times. He began his speech by telling people how his refusal to kowtow to General Musharraf led to his sacking. Around fifteen minutes into his speech, there was a little disturbance behind him. He stopped briefly and looked behind. The disturbance continued for a couple of minutes and then two faces emerged and I heard myself say: "O, shit!" At that very moment I found myself agreeing to the government´s claim that the movement for the restoration of Ifitikhar Chaudhry was actually a front for the agenda of some time-serving politicians. Why?

For an answer you need to know the two faces I have mentioned above. The two faces were: Raja Zafar ul Haq and Justice (retired) Ghous Ali Shah. They are two top leaders of Nawaz Sharif´s Pakistan Muslim League (PML), the former being the Chairman of the PML. It not just their affiliation with the PML which is a red rag to anyone who believes in human rights, natural justice, and democracy, but their blatant and shameless alignment with General Zia who for eleven years (1977-88) played havoc with every civilian institution in Pakistan. Today if Pakistan is called world´s most dangerous country by the likes of Newsweek and Economist, the (dis)honor goes to General Zia and his team of army officers and politicians. Given the nature of this article, it is not possible to narrate the misdeeds of the Ziaists, but one can be reminded of one a coupe of important incidents: General Zia made Raja Zafar ul Haq Pakistan´s minister of information (Those days my friends and I as young, progressive students spending our nights in Old Anarkali´s Café Munir used to call it "the ministry of disinformation and falsehood".). General Zia called him "the opening batsman of my team" and Raja Zafar ul Haq proudly owned and advertised the title. Imagine what respect "the opening batsman" of an extremely bloody and heinous martial law can have!

A word about Justice Shah. He was so beloved a protégé of Zia´s that the latter used his special exception-making powers to benefit him. In Pakistan a government official can enter politics only two years after they have retired (or quit) their job. But the dictator appointed Justice Shah the chief minister of the province of Sindh within twenty-four hours after he retired as the chief justice of the Sindh High Court. Did Justice Shah land in the prized job for his love of human rights? There have been countless things said about Justice Shah´s doings under the wings of martial law, and I leave it for another article that I will certainly write about him in future.

But there are many more characters than these two Ziaists who have afflicted the lawyers´ movement like a destructive virus. In July 2008 thousands of lawyers and general public gathered in Islamabad to voice their support for Justice Chaudhry. It was a peaceful, decent gathering in which the leaders of the lawyers made a very powerful case for the restoration of Justice Chaudhry. But when the last speaker took over, the entire event turned sour. The speaker was no other than Nawaz Sharif himself who unleashed a mouthful of demagoguery. Nawaz Sharif was the most cherished blue-eyed boy of General Zia. He was handpicked by a brigadier and given a ministry. Later General Zia made him Punjab´s chief minister. One of the memorable displays of Nawaz Sharif´s respect for democracy came when he cheered General Zia for dissolving Pakistan´s elected parliament in May 1988. During Nawaz Sharif´s stint as Pakistan´s prime minister the Supreme Court was invaded by his party-men forcing the judges to flee. Pakistanis have certainly not forgotten that the attack took place because Justice Sajjad Ali, the then Chief Justice, had summoned Nawaz Sharif for contempt of court, and it seemed likely to many people and commentators that he would be charged. A few hours after the Supreme Court invasion, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appeared on TV and spoke to the benefit of everyone´s ear that the people of Pakistan had elected him to "serve" them, and not to make rounds to a court.

If you take a look at the lawyers´ rallies, the most visible presence is of those fundamentalist religious parties who were carefully nurtured and empowered by General Zia. The most significant of them is Jamat-e-Islami, whose support of Zia´s barbaric misrule was matchless. Jamat-e-Islami was the greatest beneficiary of Zia´s martial law and was given key ministries by him. For example, Jamat´s Professor Khursheed who never tires of harping on the will of the people was Pakistan´s Deputy Chairman Planning under Zia, the highest civilian post. One classic example of Jamat-e-Islami´s traditional hypocrisy and duplicity can be cited here for everyone´s benefit: In 2002 it was this very party which, along with other religious parties, voted General Musharraf into presidency for five years. This vote was not an ordinary feat: it allowed General Musharraf to continue to be Pakistan´s president and the chief of the army staff at the same time, a rare landmark in the history of democracy. And this very Jamat-e-Islami is "protesting" General Musharraf´s "illegal", as the Jamat-e-Islami leaders dub it, sacking. The Jamat-e-Islami leaders must be laughing all the way during the protest procession on the stupidity and amnesia of those who have allowed them to be part of the lawyers´ movement.

More examples can be given, but the point is: the lawyers´ movement has been hijacked by those politicians whose very appearance brings extremely painful memories of a time remembered for its barbarities, murders, and total disregard for human rights. These politicians have never been able to form government through fair elections because the people of Pakistan have always rejected them. Benazir Bhutto called them "Zia´s remnants". Another Zia remnant made his presence felt on 3 November 2008 not through his presence, but through the placards that his supports were carrying in front of Justice Chaudhry´s house. The placard said: "The Act of 3 November Not Acceptable: General Hamid Gul". General Gul amply showed his support and respect for democracy when in 1988, as a serving general and the chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), he spent millions of dollars on forming a political alliance of times servers, lightweights, nobodies, and carpetbaggers (actually all of them Zia´s remnants) to counter Benazir Bhutto´s People´s Party because he did not want her party to sweep the 1988 election. To his credit, he frankly and proudly owns his misdeed. Another rare distinction that General Gul has is that only days before her assassination, Benazir went on record saying that General Gul was one of the "Zia remnants" trying to kill her. Recently, he has been officially nominated as one of the three suspects in her assassination.

Many observers have claimed that some of the lawyers have taken a lot of money from politicians, especially Nawaz Sharif, and allowed them to take over their movement. Barrister Ahmed Raza Kasuri is also of the same opinion. I have no comment to make because I do not have any inside information. My own feeling is that the lawyers have been sincere, persistent, and brave throughout their movement for the restoration of Justice Chaudhry. However, it is surprising how this sharp-minded legal community has allowed itself to be used by Zia´s remnants whose pasts have nothing to prove their respect for justice and rule of law.


Abbas Zaidi is from Lahore, Pakistan's cultural and political eipcenter. His fiction and non-fiction have featured, inter alia, in New York Press, Exquisite Corpse, New Partisan, The Salisbury Review, The Vocabula Review, CounterPunch, and The New Internationalist. He holds an MA in English literature from Lahore and an MLitt in linguistics from Glasgow.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/81001
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