'Lawyers to defend judiciary from threats'

Hamid Khan says black coats have already started a movement to protect Constitution

LAHORE:

Senior lawyer Hamid Khan has claimed that the ruling coalition is trying to amend the Constitution in a bid to weaken the judiciary, an attempt which the lawyers' community will resist with full force.

Talking to the media with reference to the proposed 26th Constitutional Amendment, Khan said lawyers are a shield against every conspiracy targeting the judiciary.

"We will not allow anyone to strike at the judiciary. Lawyers will protect the judiciary at all costs.

We will neither allow the formation of a separate Federal Constitutional Court nor let it operate. Two hundred thousand lawyers across the country will not let any such attempt succeed," he added.

The proposed constitutional amendment package includes some major changes in the country's legal system including formation of a separate constitutional court as well as extension in the tenure of the chief justice of Pakistan.

The lawyer referred to the 2007 Lawyers Movement that resulted in the exit of former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf and said, "Like in 2007, we will observe a day of protest every Thursday."

He said lawyers have also been asked to stage protests against the proposed amendment at district level. Khan claimed that a lawyers' movement to save the Constitution has already begun.

"Today, a lawyers' convention was held in Peshawar. Next, we will hold lawyers' conventions in Islamabad and then in Rawalpindi." He, however, made it clear that the lawyers' movement has no connection with any political party.