Nato attack protest: ‘Army should retaliate, not wait for govt’s approval’
Lawyers, traders ask that all Americans be expelled.
LAHORE:
Pakistani Army should retaliate if Pakistan is attacked, without waiting for the government to give its consent, said Lahore Bar Association (LBA) president Shehzad Hassan Shaikh on Thursday.
He was addressing lawyers and traders in front of the Punjab Assembly during a protest against the November 26 Nato attack.
Shaikh said that the army should not wait for the government because it was only thinking about its own interests and “how to earn dollars”.
The LBA president said that the lawyers had saved the country from a dictator, former president Pervez Musharraf, and would do all they can to save the country from “the international terrorist, America”. “The lawyers’ community declares war against America,” Shaikh said. He also asked traders, transporters and lawyers to observe a strike on December 11. Farhad Ali Shah, LBA general secretary, said that those who had attacked the army check post should be tried in Pakistan.
“If Aafia Siddiqui can be tried and convicted in America why can’t the Nato attackers be tried in Pakistan?,” he said. He also demanded that the American embassy and the US consulate general staff be directed to leave Pakistan.
“We will be on the streets until America is boycotted,” the general secretary said. Shah added that he had asked the Punjab Bar Council to convene All Pakistan Lawyers Convention to constitute a strategy for rallying against America.
Other speakers said that the whole nation was with the Pakistan Army and demanded that the government tell America to vacate Shahbaz Airbase too.
Earlier, the Lahore Bar Association held a meeting of its general body at Aiwan-i-Adl.
A candidate for LBA president in the upcoming elections, Advocate Numan Qureshi, while addressing the meeting, said that America was involved in the killing of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s first prime minister.
“Not just Americans but every one who is pro-America should be expelled from Pakistan,” he said.
After the meeting, the lawyers walked from Aiwan-i-Adl to the Punjab Assembly. The Lahore Bar Association protesters were met by Lahore High Court Bar Association members and Mall Road Traders Association representatives at GPO Chowk.
The Lahore High Court on Tuesday had relaxed a ban on protests on The Mall to allow the Wednesday protest.
Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Asma Jahangir refused to address the lawyers rally at Faisal Chowk, objecting to Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Kiani’s photos on banners and placards carried by the participants.
She said she would not deliver the speech until General Kiani’s photographs were removed. At the end Jahangir left the venue without addressing the lawyers.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2011.
Pakistani Army should retaliate if Pakistan is attacked, without waiting for the government to give its consent, said Lahore Bar Association (LBA) president Shehzad Hassan Shaikh on Thursday.
He was addressing lawyers and traders in front of the Punjab Assembly during a protest against the November 26 Nato attack.
Shaikh said that the army should not wait for the government because it was only thinking about its own interests and “how to earn dollars”.
The LBA president said that the lawyers had saved the country from a dictator, former president Pervez Musharraf, and would do all they can to save the country from “the international terrorist, America”. “The lawyers’ community declares war against America,” Shaikh said. He also asked traders, transporters and lawyers to observe a strike on December 11. Farhad Ali Shah, LBA general secretary, said that those who had attacked the army check post should be tried in Pakistan.
“If Aafia Siddiqui can be tried and convicted in America why can’t the Nato attackers be tried in Pakistan?,” he said. He also demanded that the American embassy and the US consulate general staff be directed to leave Pakistan.
“We will be on the streets until America is boycotted,” the general secretary said. Shah added that he had asked the Punjab Bar Council to convene All Pakistan Lawyers Convention to constitute a strategy for rallying against America.
Other speakers said that the whole nation was with the Pakistan Army and demanded that the government tell America to vacate Shahbaz Airbase too.
Earlier, the Lahore Bar Association held a meeting of its general body at Aiwan-i-Adl.
A candidate for LBA president in the upcoming elections, Advocate Numan Qureshi, while addressing the meeting, said that America was involved in the killing of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s first prime minister.
“Not just Americans but every one who is pro-America should be expelled from Pakistan,” he said.
After the meeting, the lawyers walked from Aiwan-i-Adl to the Punjab Assembly. The Lahore Bar Association protesters were met by Lahore High Court Bar Association members and Mall Road Traders Association representatives at GPO Chowk.
The Lahore High Court on Tuesday had relaxed a ban on protests on The Mall to allow the Wednesday protest.
Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Asma Jahangir refused to address the lawyers rally at Faisal Chowk, objecting to Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Kiani’s photos on banners and placards carried by the participants.
She said she would not deliver the speech until General Kiani’s photographs were removed. At the end Jahangir left the venue without addressing the lawyers.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2011.