World | Pakistan
Pakistan protests and political activity build up to a crescendo
On a day when the wheeling-dealing in political circles hit a high note, lawyers demanding the restoration of deposed judges and common people protesting against unscheduled power cuts were in no mood to let up.
- By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter and Shahid Hussain, Correspondent
- Published: 23:44 August 28, 2008
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Islamabad: On a day when the wheeling-dealing in political circles hit a high note, lawyers demanding the restoration of deposed judges and common people protesting against unscheduled power cuts were in no mood to let up.
Normal life was paralysed in all major cities of the country yesterday amid protests and sit-ins by lawyers. Motorists struggled through traffic jams but people stayed away from markets for fear of clashes.
Intercity and intra-city transport services were crippled by protests that sought to highlight the acute economic crisis facing the country.
The lawyers revived memories of the weekly protests they had organised to telling effect against the government of former president Pervez Musharraf.
They came out in full force with simultaneous protests in major urban centres and sent out a clear message to the government that they expected it to fulfil its promise on the restoration of the deposed judges.
Key leaders of the lawyers' agitation, Aitzaz Ahsan and Athar Minullah, earlier called for protests in all major cities across the country after the ruling coalition collapsed.
Significant change
There has been one significant change to the plot though. The lawyers have now directed their ire at the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in general and its co-chairman and presidential candidate, Asif Ali Zardari, in particular.
Speakers at the rallies, which disrupted traffic but dispersed without any violent incident, criticised the PPP government for reneging on its pledge to reinstate the judges.
Addressing a large gathering of lawyers and political workers in Lahore, capital of the most populous Punjab province, Aitzaz Ahsan sought to remind all present that its was their movement that had led to the demise of Musharraf from power.
Ahsan, president of Supreme Court Bar Association, said the struggle of the lawyer community would continue till the restoration of all deposed judges, including former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Sit-in protests were also held in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta.
The rallies came a day after eight deposed judges of the Sindh High Court took oath after being appointed afresh, which is the mode apparently devised by the PPP government to bring the sacked judges back to the judiciary.
But lawyers and the country's largest party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), insist the judges should be restored - they argue that reappointment would mean validation of the unconstitutional steps taken by Musharraf in November 2007.
The PML-N withdrew from the ruling coalition on Monday because of the PPP leadership's refusal to fulfill its public pledge to restore the judges through a National Assembly resolution and executive order.
Amid the continuing judicial row, Law Minister Farooq Naek asserted that incumbent Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, who replaced the deposed Justice Chaudhry, was the "rightful" head of the Supreme Court.
Law minister's warning
"Justice Dogar is [the] rightful chief justice and we have to think twice before reinstating the deposed chief justice as it will create a constitutional crisis in the country," Naek said in remarks to reporters that were published yesterday.
The minister pointed out that the return of the eight judges to the Sindh High Court showed that the government was committed to the reinstatement of the deposed judges.
In Islamabad, the protesting lawyers chanted slogans against Zardari and also tore posters and hoardings featuring Zardari and even Benazir Bhutto.
There were reports of minor clashes between the lawyers, opposition party workers and PPP supporters.
"The lawyers' movement will continue till the restoration of judges," declared Aitzaz Ahsan.
Elsewhere, protest action seemed totally detached from the choice of presidential candidates and restoration of judges.
Crowds went on the rampage damaging public property and raising slogans against the government for power supply disruptions stretching between 12 and 18 hours on a daily basis.
Even major cities like Lahore, Karachi and Faisalabad have not been spared blackouts lasting nearly 14 hours, paralysing industries and day-to-day life.
Busy strategising
However, the protests did not move anyone in Islamabad because leaders of all major political parties were busy holding meetings to chart out strategies for realignment of political parties in view of the presidential elections.
A PPP delegation comprising of senior leaders Khurshid Shah and Manzoor Wattoo met PMN-L leader Nawaz Sharif in a bid to convey a message from Zardari requesting a meeting.
Sharif, who flew to Islamabad on Wednesday night, refused to meet Zardari but apparently gave him a phone call.
Also, senior PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to discuss the worsening political crisis.
The PML-N's presidential candidate Justice (retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui called on Chaudhry Shujaat of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) in a bid to convince him to withdraw his candidate Mushahid Hussain in his favour.
The next couple of days are very crucial on the political scene as decisions are expected to be made on presidential candidates. The deadline to withdraw nomination papers for any candidate is August 30.
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