KARACHI - "The judges re-appointed through fresh oath have betrayed the movement launched for the independence of judiciary" said the lawyers' representatives in their speeches in a joint general body meeting on the eve of Yaum-e-Iftikhar observed on Tuesday. They were addressing a joint meeting held here at Karachi Bar Association in which representatives of Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHBA), Karachi Bar Association (KBA) and Malir Court Bar Association (MBA) were also present. Speaking on the occasion, President SHBA, Advocate Rasheed A Rizvi, condemned the judges who took fresh oath and said that they had betrayed the ongoing lawyers' movement. He said that he did not play any role in their reappointment nor he was part of the conspiracy hatched to sabotage the movement. He said that he was in touch with the judges till 14th of May regarding negotiation process to convince them not to take oath. Rizvi said that eight judges, who were about to take oath on 6th of August, were halted, adding that he was among the lawyers' representatives who convinced them while PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif also forced President Asif Ali Zardari not to re-appoint them and the oath taking ceremony for the judges was cancelled.       He said the judges who accepted Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar as Chief Justice of Pakistan were not part of the lawyers' movement. Earlier, Yasin Azad, Chairman of Coordination Committee of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), said that Justice Ifikhar Chaudhry was still the constitutional Chief Justice of Pakistan. He denied the impression that the he or PBC had compromised with the government in order to sabotage the lawyers movement after receiving bribes. Azad said that he had never thought of compromising with the ongoing movement initiated for the independence of judiciary. President KBA Mehmoodul Hassan said that lawyers' representatives who met with Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar were not part of the movement.   On this occasion, the lawyers split up into two groups when Yasin Azad tried to deliver speech intercepting Mehmoodul Hassan which resulted in the exchange of hot words. Later, the lawyers' fraternity observed Yaum-e-Iftikhar and vowed to continue their movement for independent judiciary. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of the sacked CJP. The lawyers demanded of the government to restore Iftikhar Chaudhry immediately. They also vowed to continue their struggle till restoration of judiciary, saying that if the ruling parties would not fulfil their promise, they would launch civil disobedience movement.