Rival lawyer groups clash over PM Nawaz’s resignation demand

•  LHCBA, SCBA threaten countrywide movement if PM does not step down in seven days

All Pakistan lawyers’ representative convention, organised by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) to decide the future course of action about the demand for prime minister’s resignation in the wake of Panama Papers verdict, was marred by a commotion on Saturday.

Lawyers were divided into two groups: anti-PM and pro-PM. They raised slogans and counter-slogans to support their stances.

During the ruckus, some lawyers also broke the windowpanes of the hall where the convention was being held. The police reached the scene but did not interfere.

The disturbance continued for more than two hours after which the anti-PM group, led by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Rashid A Rizvi, moved to the GPO Chowk and staged a protest demonstration there.

The commotion started even before the beginning of the convention when a pro-PM lawyers’ group—led by PML-N Lawyers Forum President Naseer A Bhutta and their like-minded bar representatives—reached the venue and took control of the stage and started chanting slogans in favour of the prime minister. Members from the PML-N’s Lawyers Wing tried to prevent members of the SCBA and LHCBA from reaching the convention stage and starting its proceedings.

Talking to the media, Naseer A Bhutta said that the convention, organised by the LHCBA, was illegal and the lawyers came there from across the country to condemn it.

He said that the Pakistan Bar Council had already settled the issue by holding a convention in this regard and now there was no excuse for such an assembly. The PML-N’s Lawyers Wing representatives said the Panama Leaks case was still sub judice and that was why demands for the prime minister’s resignation at this point were not appropriate.

They further added that representatives of the LHCBA and SCBA did not represent any real movement and were, in fact, “acting on behalf of certain political parties.”

He said that the lawyers never participated in any conspiracy during the democratic period and they always launched movements against dictators.

Supreme Court Bar Executive Committee Member Javaid Meer held the SCBA president and suspended secretary responsible for the divide among the lawyers. He mentioned that the SCBA executive committee had disassociated itself from the present convention in a meeting held earlier.

‘PML-N HAS ALSO ATTACKED SUPREME COURT BEFORE’:

According to reports, SCBA President Rasheed A Rizvi was taken by the pro-PML-N lawyers to a library on the premises and locked him in. Rizvi was later freed when the locks were broken by SCBA members

Speaking to media representatives after he was taken out of the library, Rizvi asserted that the convention would be held at all costs. He said the government lawyers humiliated him, shoved him and called him names.

Rashid A Rizvi condemned the PML-N Lawyers’ Forum and their like-minded representatives for their action at the convention.

Rizvi alleged that the convention was attacked with the support of the state. “PML-N has also attacked the Supreme Court before,” he claimed.

It may be mentioned here that the LHCBA, along with some members of the SCBA, had organised the convention to gain lawyers’ support for their demand for prime minister’s resignation in the wake of Panama Leaks case verdict.

LHCBA, SCBA THREATEN COUNTRYWIDE MOVEMENT:

The LHCBA and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) have threatened to launch a countrywide movement calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif if the premier does not step down in seven days. Both associations are of the view that in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Panama Leaks case, the prime minister should no longer hold the position and should, therefore, resign, a joint notification issued by the two bar associations said.

The notification from the two bodies came soon after LHCBA and SCBA members clashed with lawyers.

The protesters made it clear that the campaign against prime minister has started from today. It was also announced that the second phase of lawyers’ moment will start after Ramazan.

Meanwhile, traffic remained jammed due to the sit-in and people face trouble as a result.

It is pertinent to mention here that in April, the LHCBA had given a similar ultimatum to the prime minister. The bar association had asked the premier to resign within a week, or face a lawyers’ movement bigger than the one that followed ex-chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s ouster.

The latest demand from lawyers’ bodies comes weeks after the Panama Leaks case verdict which directed that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) be instituted to investigate the prime minister and his sons for alleged corruption.