=> LAHORE – Lawyers of Lahore Bar Association (LBA) o
LAHORE – Lawyers of Lahore Bar Association (LBA) on Thursday took out a protest rally from Aiwan-e-Adl to Data Darbar to condemn the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, for the restoration of judiciary and against the curbs on media.
Hundreds of lawyers joined by activists of civil society organizations and students thronged the Lower Mall and started marching while chanting full-throat anti-government slogans also holding placards and posters of late Benazir Bhutto.
The family of detained Supreme Court Bar Association president also took part in the protest rally.
The lawyers’ original plan was to reach the Lahore High Court but the police had blocked all the routes leading to the LHC.
The demonstrators changed their strategy and turned towards Data Darbar Chowk chanting slogans, “Zinda hy Bhutto Zinda hy” and “Q League, Qatil League”.
Addressing the rally president LBA Syed Muhammad Shah said Benazir was not only a national leader but also an asset that we lost.
He also demanded the restoration of all the deposed judges and the judiciary to its pre-Nov-3 status. The LBA president strongly demanded the government to lift curbs imposed on media.
Secretary Shamim-ur-Rehman Malik speaking at the occasion said the FIR of Benazir’s assassination should be registered on the complaint of her successors and investigation be held by an international inquiry commission.
He paid rich tribute to Benazir and strongly condemned the government for its failure in providing security to her, which she had been pressing for weeks.
Mr Shamim also deplored caretaker government for not lifting illegal bans on media.
He urged government to release all the lawyers and deposed judges including Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Aitzaz Ahsan, Munir A Malik, Ali Ahmad Kurd and Justice (retd) Tariq Mehmood.
Mrs Bushra Aitzaz also addressed the lawyers and thanked them for launching massive struggle to save the judiciary and for the release of lawyers.
She said Benazir was an unmatched personality who always tried to protect children, women and destitute people. She said people of Pakistan gave her love but the establishment always created troubles for her. She also demanded Musharraf to step down immediately for the sovereignty of the country.
Before concluding the rally the protesting lawyers, students and activists of civil society organizations offered Fateha for the departed soul of Benazir Bhutto outside Data Darbar.
On reaching PMG Chowk the protestors peacefully dispersed, however, the lawyers continued their protest and mourning by boycotting the courts.
As the city traffic police had blocked all the adjoining roads to Lower Mall and upper Mall Road, the commuters faced acute problems in reaching their destinations and remained stuck in traffic for several hours.
Source: The Nation
Date:1/4/2008
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