SC verdict, Qadri’s march linked, planned: Asma

KARACHI - Former President of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Asma Jehangir has said that the timing of Supreme Court’s verdict to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Asharraf in rental power scam and Long March of Tahirul Qadri are not coincidence.She alleged that military establishment and the Chief Justice had started a ‘game’ against democratic system.Addressing a hurriedly-called press conference at Karachi Press Club just after the Supreme Court’s verdict to arrest Prime Minister on Tuesday, she said that a new game had begun by the military establishment and Supreme Court’s Chief Justice against the democratic system. She said one who speaks up against the establishment had become a target. Flanked with Sindh High Court Bar Association’s president advocate Mustafa Lakhani and Karachi Bar Association’s President Naeem Qureshi, former president of human rights and lawyers’ leader Asma Jehangir said that Supreme Court Bar and other lawyers’ associations would meet on Wednesday and evolve a strategy against the Supreme Court’s verdict of arresting the Prime Minister. She also called upon the political forces not to succumb to the conspiracies. “We will have to decide now whether Pakistan has to be run by democratic system or by forces which are playing with the Pakistan’s stability. The lawyers will come on streets once again to save democracy,” she announced.Asma declared that we are not against the verdict to arrest the Prime Minister, arguing that the timing of Long March of Tahirul Qadri and SC’s verdict are not a coincidence. “What was the hurry to give verdict to arrest Prime Minister when people gathered in Islamabad,” she questioned, claiming that instability has been created through the verdict, which is not in the interest of the country. She said that long march of Tahir ul Qadri and Supreme Court’s verdict were planned.  She said that director of Tahirul Qadri’s long march were the same ‘elements’, who formed IJI in past and brought drama of Tsunami recently.After lawyers’ movement, the Chief Justice was restored due to Chief of Army Staff, so he (CJ) will remain loyal to him, Asma she alleged. She regretted over the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.Lawyers’ leader said that main actor comes from abroad for a drama to derail the democracy and after completing his task he would go back. “We are the permanent residents of this country, so we have to think seriously.” Referring the restoration of judges, Asma Jehangir said that whom we got restored through our struggle were now harming the democratic system.She repeatedly said, “We have no objection over the verdict to arrest the PM but the timing of long march and verdict are not a coincidence.”

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt