Lawyers threaten to beseige Musharraf official residence

Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan's lawyers have threatened to besiege Army House - the official residence of President Pervez Musharraf - if the presidency tries to sabotage efforts by the PPP-PML-N coalition to reinstate judges deposed during last year's emergency.

In a crucial meeting held in Murree last week, the PPP and PML-N agreed to reinstate the deposed judges within 30 days of the formation of their government.

Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan, who is also a PPP leader, said yesterday that lawyers would march to Rawalpindi and besiege the Army House if the president tried to sabotage steps to reinstate the pre-emergency judiciary.

He asked judges of superior courts not to become party to what he called "conspiracies being hatched at the Aiwan-i-Sadar (presidency)".

Traders have assured their support to lawyers in their struggle for the independence of the judiciary and they could give a call for a countrywide strike, he warned.

Ahsan said that though there was no need for a parliamentary resolution to reinstate the deposed judges, such a resolution would provide strength to the executive and the government in the implementation of the decision made by the PPP and PML-N.

[http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200803131421.htm]