SC roll signing ends in tumult

ISLAMABAD - The 8th Rolls Signing ceremony at the Supreme Court turned ugly here on Monday when a woman lawyer angrily shouted at Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar while telling him that she was signing under protest. "You are not my Chief Justice", the newly enrolled lawyer of apex court, Begum Gulzar Butt told Justice Dogar immediately after signing the enrolment register. After the remark made by the angry lawyer, atmosphere at the signing ceremony became tense and unpleasant. Although majority of the 159 lawyers set to sign the enrolment register were yet to put their signatures at that stage, the process was suspended and lunch was opened even without the address of Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar who was chief guest on the occasion. Tensions prevailed between the pro and anti Justice Dogar lawyers as majority of the black coats objected to his appointment as the top adjudicator of Pakistan in the wake of November 3, 2007 events when the country was placed under emergency rule and more than four dozen independent-minded superior judges were sacked by the former President Pervez Musharraf. "I have also written with my signatures that I am signing the roll under protest due to same reason", the Lahore-based Advocate Gulzar Begum told The Nation after the ceremony. Chief Justice Dogar along with majority of other apex court judges present in the ceremony also left the hall after the situation turned unpleasant. However, the Chief Justice came back to the ceremony after some time and delivered a short speech, asking the newly enrolled advocates to work with determination and sincerity. Registrar Supreme Court, Raja Lehrasab Khan later told the reporters that the Chief Justice of Pakistan had to leave early due to some other commitment. A court official later issued a statement saying about 159 new Advocates were enrolled as Advocates of the Supreme Court including six lady Advocates and they got their enrolment certificates during the ceremony held at the ceremonial hall. "The whole ceremony was conducted in normal way followed by a lunch", he added. "Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar honoured the occasion with his presence and welcomed the new Advocates of the Supreme Court", he further stated in the statement. All the Judges of the Supreme Court, Secretary Law, Attorney General for Pakistan, other Law Officers and prominent lawyers attended the ceremony. Raja Lehrasab Khan Registrar Supreme Court conducted the proceedings of the ceremony.

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