PM’s Conviction: Lawyers boycott courts

ATTOCK: Expressing solidarity with the judiciary, the lawyers in the districts went on a strike on Saturday to protest against the prime minister’s refusal to step down. All courts remained closed during the day as members of Attock Bar Association (ABA) boycotted the proceedings. Talking to media personnel on the occasion, Rawalpindi High Court Bar Association President Sheikh Ahsan, ABA President Syed Azmat Bukhari and senior lawyer Israr Ahmed said the Supreme Court has convicted the prime minister and according to the constitution, he is no longer eligible to hold office. Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court had convicted Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in a contempt case for refusing to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari and gave him a symbolic sentence of a few seconds’ detention in the courtroom. The prime minister has so far refused to step down from his post. Instead, he has put his faith in the authority of Speaker of National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza to decide his fate.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2012.