ournalists denied entry to SC premises
LAHORE
THE Supreme Court Bar Association’s representatives on Friday held a press conference on the road outside the main gate of the Supreme Court Lahore Registry Branch, as the Court authorities did not allow the journalists to enter the SC premises, where the Bar had its office, to cover the Bar meeting.
Earlier, the Bar cancelled the meeting to show solidarity with journalists.
In protest against the SC officials, SCBA President Ali Ahmad Kurd held the press conference on the road. He was joined by SCBA Secretary Shaukat Umar Pirzada, Vice-President Mian Javed Jalal and NWFP chapter Vice-President Saeed Akhter.
Mr Kurd said the Bar had an equal right to use the court premises like the SC itself. He said the attitude of the SC officers was not becoming to the call of their office, adding that said the officer concerned had told the SCBA members to do whatever they wanted but the journalists would not be allowed entry into the premises.
Talking about the lawyers’ long march on March 9, Kurd said more than 100,000 lawyers, in the company of the civil society, political activists, students, traders and businessmen, would reach the Constitutional Avenue, instead of holding a sit-in at the spot where they would be halted by the authorities.
He reiterated his commitment to staging a sit-in on the avenue under all circumstances, adding that the lawyers were pursuing the cause of independence of judiciary, which had been the objective of the masses’ struggle for over the last 60 years.
The SCBA president also announced taking active part in the All Pakistan Lawyers’ Convention being organised by the Punjab Bar Council here on Jan 24 (today) where deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had been invited as the chief guest.
Meanwhile, SCBA executive committee member Ahmad Shahzad Rana, in a statement, alleged that Ali Ahmad Kurd made a false excuse of showing solidarity with journalists to cancel the Bar meeting.
He alleged that Kurd had realised that most of the Bar members were against taking out the long march so he cancelled the meeting.
Source: The news
Date:1/24/2009
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