Aitzaz asks PPP, PML-N to reinstate judges quickly

Pakistans Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Aitzaz Ahsan has warned the leaderships of the PPP and PML-N to get the deposed judges reinstated quickly or face a movement themselves.

Lahore, Feb 24 : Pakistan's Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Aitzaz Ahsan has warned the leaderships of the PPP and PML-N to get the deposed judges reinstated quickly or face a movement themselves.

Addressing lawyers in Lahore who had turned out to elect office-bearers for the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), Ahsan ruled out any compromise on the planned long march on Islamabad if the deposed judges were not reinstated by March 7.

"The lawyers are providing a chance to the new Parliament to reinstate the judges, otherwise they are all set to hold a rally in Islamabad on March 9," Ahsan said.

Ahsan's detention was relaxed for a short period to allow him to cast his vote in the LHCBA election on Saturday.

Ahsan said the PCO, which led to removal of over 60 judges, including the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, would obstruct the functioning of the new Parliament.

Referring to the Supreme Court verdict on the reinstatement of the Chief Justice, Ahsan said the decision had held out that no judge of the superior judiciary could be removed unless the Supreme Judicial Council decided to do so under Article 209 of the Constitution.

"The removal of the judges under the PCO and the oath under the same were against the legal and constitutional authority," the Dawn quoted him, as saying.

He said if the November 3 PCO was not discarded, it would provide legitimacy to future Army Chiefs to impose emergency, usurp the basic rights of the people and amend the Constitution, forcing the future governments to follow it.

The center of 'power gravity' would remain with the Parliament if the judges were restored, otherwise it would shift to streets because the lawyers would not abandon their principled demands at any cost, he said.

Ahsan said so far the legal fraternity was satisfied with both PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on their mutual agreement to restore the judges and they would provide them an opportunity to fulfil their promise.

ANI