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Pro, anti-Musharraf lawyers clash

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD June 14. There is a virtual war between pro- and anti-Musharraf factions in the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA). The immediate cause for the tussle is the decision of some of the office-bearers of the Association to host a function to facilitate the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, earlier in the week.

Lawyers' community in Pakistan has been the most vocal section in opposition to the controversial amendments made by Gen. Musharraf to the Constitution and his continuation in uniform while being the first citizen. In the last few months, lawyers' organisations have been engaged in protests and demonstrations against Gen. Musharraf.

Matters in LHCBA reached a flash point on Friday when a section of the lawyers announced cancellation of membership of the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) president and the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) vice-chairman for hosting functions for Gen. Musharraf and the Punjab Chief Minister, Pervez Elahi.

Amid scuffles between rival groups, LHCBA also endorsed an LBA resolution to remove Mr. Afridi as its president and condemned an LHC judge's decision to grant a stay to Mr. Afridi.

Reports from Lahore said that the lawyers chanted slogans against Gen. Musharraf and his "chosen" Government at the LHCBA meeting, calling the President "America's pet in army fatigues". They condemned Mr. Afridi for allegedly misusing his office and abusing lawyers' trust by inviting a "usurper to a sham convention". The resolution also said the luncheon arranged for Gen. Musharraf by the LBA was a "grotesque farce".

Tabling the resolution, the LHCBA president, Hafiz Abdul Rehman Ansari, also invited all Opposition leaders to address the forum and strengthen the struggle for democracy, supremacy of Parliament, sanctity of the Constitution and independence of the judiciary.

A group of pro-Musharraf lawyers shouted slogans when Mr. Ansari tabled the resolution. During the uproar, a majority of the lawyers passed the resolution, despite the vociferous opposition from a dissident faction. The resolution demanded the return of the former premiers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, to the country to lead their parties. Throughout the one-hour meeting, lawyers continued thumping their desks and shouting "go Musharraf go" and "go traitors go".

They also burnt copies of a newspaper that carried pictures of Gen. Musharraf and Mr. Afridi, and eulogised the services of Mr. Ansari and Hamid Khan, president of the SCBA, for lending vigour to lawyers' movement for safeguarding the Constitution. Lawyers pushed Umar Hayat Sindhu, advocate, onto a table and said he would be deemed the LBA president in future. They called Rana Ejaz Ahmed, Chief Minister's adviser, and "an agent of the Generals".

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