‘Pro-judiciary’, ‘pro-democracy’ groups faceoff

Asma Jehangir and Ahmad Awais gear up their campaign with only three weeks left to showdown.


Rana Tanveer October 06, 2010

LAHORE: The upcoming Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) elections on October 27 are turning into a contest between ‘pro-democracy’ and ‘pro-judiciary’ groups.

Both aspirants for the SCBA president’s slot –Asma Jehangir and Ahmad Awais – have geared up their campaign with only three weeks left in the showdown.

As has been the tradition with bar elections, several groups of lawyers have announced support for their candidates.

The supporters of Ahmed Awais have distributed a pamphlet saying, “We are witnessing the country getting deeper into crises. The government is refusing to implement the Supreme Court orders, particularly in the NRO case. It is time for the lawyers’ fraternity to stand by the Supreme Court for the implementation of its verdicts.”

The pamphlet goes on to say, “In order to strengthen the independence of judiciary, we request you to vote for and support Mr Ahmad Awais for the office of SCBA president.”

The pamphlet carries names of prominent lawyers, who were on the forefront of the movement for restoration of judiciary. They include Hamid Khan, a former (SCBA) president; Abdul Qadous Mian, the incumbent Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) president; Mahmoodul Hassan, the Karachi Bar Association president; Rasheed A Rizvi, the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) president; Raja Zulqarnain, the SCBA secretary and several former presidents of the LHCBA.

Awais, however, denied the suggestions that he was contesting under judges’ patronage. He said he had no support from any members of the judiciary. Defending his support for senior judiciary, he said that it was the duty of the bar to support the bench.

Asma Jehangir hosted a tea party at the LHCBA premises on Tuesday as part of her campaign. In attendance were several judges appointed by the PPP government under the PCO and later removed by the Apex Court.

These included Ehtesham Qadir, Ramazan Chaudhry, Zulfiqar Bukhari, Anwarul Haq Pannu, and Parvaiz Inayat Malik.

Other guests included six deputy attorney generals, federal government representatives: Ashraf Khan, Naveed Anayat Malik, Abid Saqi, Amir Rehman and Tanveer Hashmi.

Sardar Latif Khosa, former attorney general and advisor to PM Yousaf Raza Gillani, has announced his support from the platform of People’s Lawyers Forum for Ms Jehangir’s candidature. Khosa’s son, Khurram Latif Khosa, was also present at Tuesday’s tea party.

A statement issued by Ms Jehangir after the party mentioned the names of 42 lawyers who had announced support for her. The list did not mention the above mentioned participants.

It included Ali Ahmed Kurd, a former SCBA president; Justice (r) Tariq Mahmood, Kazim Khan, the Pakistan Bar Council vice chairman; Nasrullah Warraich, the PBC executive committee chairman; SM Masood, a former law minister; Khawaja Mahmood Ahmed, Naseer Bhutta, Atir Mahmood, Salman Akram Raja, Talib H Rizvi, Jahangir A Jhojha, Azir Latif, Pir SA Rasheed, and Farooq Amjad Mir.

Ms Jehangir, in her statement, reminded the lawyers that she had always been impartial and independent. It said that she had been working for rule of law and democracy for over four decades. It said that she was neither a member of any political party nor affiliated with the government.

The statement accused her opponents of false propaganda against her.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2010.

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