KARACHI – The lawyer fraternity on Wednesday observed ‘Youm-e-Iftikhar’ on the fourth anniversary of former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s illegitimate dismissal of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudry on March 9, 2007. Praising the judges for taking a stand against the dictator, the lawyers said that Chaudhry and other judges did not compromise on their principles to resist against the unconstitutional act.
They were speaking at the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) general body meeting held at the KBA Office while observing a black day. The meeting was addressed by Sindh Bar Council (SBC) Vice Chairman Iftikhar Javed Qazi, KBA President Muhammad Aqil, Vice President Abdul Hameed Yousufi, Mehmoodul Hassan, Khalid Munawar, Khalid Mumtaz, SBC members and others. The speakers pointed out that Musharraf had ousted the CJP twice and tried to control the judiciary by dividing the legal fraternity but failed to do so. He finally had to surrender as the CJP did not retreat from his principle stand, they added.
The independent judiciary was restored due to the lawyers’ massive struggle which was jointed by the civil society and people belonging to different walks of life.
“The independence of the judiciary was only possible through the sacrifice of lawyers who lost their lives for the cause,” they stated.Vowing never to compromise on judiciary’s independence, they urged that the lawyers should remain united until the achievement of their goal that was to provide justice to the masses. The lawyers’ community observed the black day in the metropolitan on a call from Supreme Court Bar Association.
Wearing black armbands, the lawyers hoisted black flags on the buildings of district bar associations’ offices and staged demonstrations. On March 9, 2007, Musharraf had filed a reference of misconduct against the CJP, prompting the then Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to suspend Chaudry from his post.
