Nationwide Strike
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) convened an All-Pakistan Lawyers Representatives Conference, where they demanded President Dr. Arif Alvi to utilize his constitutional authority under Article 48 to announce the general election date.
Following the conference, Haroon Rashid, Vice-Chairman, and Hassan Raza Pasha, Chairman Executive Committee of the PBC, held a press conference outside the Supreme Court.
They announced that the conference had passed a resolution urging the president to exercise his authority and set the general election date. Another resolution called for the withdrawal of facilities such as free electricity, gas, and telephone bills for judges, generals, and bureaucrats, to be ensured by the caretaker setup within a week.
The conference also demanded the production of missing persons before the courts and expressed concern over raids on legal fraternity members’ homes.
Raza Pasha emphasized the need for prompt hearings on references filed against judges and called on Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to proceed with them.
Lawyers planned peaceful rallies on September 9, accompanied by a complete strike, with the Punjab Bar Council holding a convention in Lahore.
They cited Article 48 of the Constitution, noting that the President can announce the election date within the stipulated 90 days, and given the constitutional crisis and delay in elections, they urged the President to fulfill this role without consultation.
They also demanded the withdrawal of incentives provided to judges, generals, and officials and expressed their intent to address rising commodity prices to protect the nation’s interests.
Rashid highlighted the issue of missing persons and called for the prompt implementation of the Bill for the Protection of Lawyers, along with an end to illegal raids on lawyers’ homes.
