Nominations for Senate polls unveiled

TrendPK.com

ISLAMABAD: Nominations of the hopefuls for around the corner Senate elections were surfaced on Sunday whereby PML-N shortlisted seven candidates, four contenders from PPP while PML-F nominated Syed Muzaffar Hussain from Sindh, reports TrendPK.

The nomination papers will start to be submitted from Monday.

According to the announcement issued from PML-N, M. Hamza, Zulfiqar Khosa, Rafique Rajwana and Zafarullah Dhandlah were nominated on general seats from Punjab. Ishaq Dar will be hopeful for Technocrat slot and Kamran Michael will be contesting for minority seat. Nuzhat Aamir Siddiqui has been named to contest on women seats from N-League.

On the other side, PPP has announced four candidates to run for Senate polls from Punjab including Babar Awan, Aitzaz Ahsan, Aslam Gill and Khalid Qureshi.

Babar Awan and Aitzaz Ahsan form legal team of the government while Aslam Gill is the former president Lahore of PPP and Khalida Qureshi belongs to Muzaffargarh. TrendPK

PM Gilani not guilty of contempt: Aitzaz Ahsan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s embattled prime minister is not guilty of contempt of court but should bow to pressure and write to Switzerland about reopening graft cases against the president, his lawyer said Wednesday.

The comments from Aitzaz Ahsan are the clearest indication yet that Yousuf Raza Gilani may step back from the brink of further confrontation with the judiciary when he is summoned before Pakistan’s top court on Thursday.

The Supreme Court initiated contempt proceedings against Gilani, exasperated by his refusal to write to the Swiss asking them to re-open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari since an amnesty expired in 2009.

If the prime minister were to be charged with contempt, he would be stripped of office and could face up to six months in prison — leaving little option but satisfy the judges, resign or risk being unceremoniously sacked.

“Asif Ali Zardari has complete immunity as president,” Ahsan told reporters.

“There is no harm in writing a letter to the Swiss authorities. He enjoys immunity in Pakistan and abroad as long as he is president,” he added.

The standoff between the government and the courts over corruption cases facing political leaders rests on principle alone given that Switzerland says Zardari is immune from prosecution as long as he remains in office.

Gilani’s decision to appoint Ahsan as his lawyer has been seen as a conciliatory gesture to the judiciary — on a collision course with the government that is widely expected to help force early elections this year.

Ahsan is a senior leader in Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and well respected by the judiciary for his role at the vanguard of a lawyers’ movement that forced the government to reinstate independent judges in March 2009.

Ahsan said he did not believe Gilani would be convicted.

“I don’t think the prime minister has committed contempt of court by not writing the letter. Through my arguments I will try to convince the court that the prime minister is not guilty of contempt.”

PPP leaders accuse unnamed conspirators of plotting to bring down the government before its mandate ends in early 2013, in what many have interpreted as a judiciary-military axis working behind the scenes.

But the options open to Gilani are slim.

Former chief justice, Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, told AFP that Gilani could either resign or comply with the court’s order.

“The matter has gone too far. It will only make sense if he complies with the court order after tendering an apology,” Siddiqui said.

He acknowledged that the tussle was on principle given that the Swiss could not prosecute a sitting head of state under the Geneva Convention.

“The government should have written a letter to the Swiss authorities much earlier irrespective of consequences,” he said.

Political and security analyst Imtiaz Gul agreed that the prime minister had no choice but satisfy the judges or face dismissal.

One compromise might be to write to the Swiss about the case while pointing out that Zardari has immunity and cannot be proceeded against.

“The fact that they chose Aitzaz Ahsan to represent the prime minister underscores the possibility of reconciliation,” Gul told AFP.

“He is well respected and a good lawyer. They chose him to find a middle ground which may be a win-win situation for the court and the prime minister.”

“But it all depends on how Gilani responds to the options and whether he can satisfy the court,” Gul added. AGENCIES

Political leaders to accompany PM to Supreme Court

TrendPK.com

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is appearing before the Supreme Court tomorrow (Thursday) on a contempt notice.

Members of parliament, federal ministers and coalition partners will accompany the prime minister to the apex court.

PPP provincial chiefs, chief ministers of Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkwa and Gilgit Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir will also be with the PM Gilani. 

Speaking to newsmen after Sindh Assembly session, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said Prime Minister also enjoys immunity like the President. But the Prime Minister will go to Supreme Court to show respect for courts.

Lawyers of Islamabad High Court (IHC) will also reach the Supreme Court to show solidarity with the bench.

The IHC has directed lawyers to reach the top court. TrendPK

Aitzaz files advocacy paper to defend PM Gilani in Supreme Court

TrendPK.com

ISLAMABAD: Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan has filed advocacy paper to defend Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Supreme Court, TrendPK reported on Wednesday.

Aitzaz Ahsan said on the occasion that he will try to convince the court that no contempt of court has taken place as the President enjoys immunity and there is no need of demanding it from the court.

Advocate on Records, M.S.Khattak has submitted Aitzaz Ahsan’s advocacy paper in the Supreme Court.

While commenting on that letter, to be written to Swiss authorities, he said that even if that letter is written then too nothing will happen which will may harm court’s honor. TrendPK

Vallima party of Ch. Shujaat’s son turns political forum

LAHORE: The Vallima party of the son of Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) chief Ch. Shujaat turned a forum of political discussions as the leaders from different parties kept having short meetings to discuss the possibility for PML-Q to become a part of coalition government in center, TrendPK reported.

On the occasion, talking to media men, former federal minister Babar Awan said that his party was on good terms with PML-Q and the PPP’s policy of reconciliation made that possible, adding that his party never believed in inking secret deals in politics.

Abdul Rehman Malik, on the occasion, urged US to listen to the demands of Pakistani people and stop missile attacks forthwith.

PPP’s leader Aitzaz Ahsan said that ZAB’s reference in Supreme Court will help wash out stains of politically-influenced decisions of courts which are there on the face of Pakistani judiciary.

Also, the party was attended by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Mohammed Ali Durrani, Ameer Muqaam, Owais Leghari, and many others. TrendPK

Asma Jahangir elected as SCBA President

Asma Jahangir has won the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election acquiring 834 votes in total whereas his opponent Ahmed Awais managed to get 796 votes. Ahmed Awais has accepted his defeat. The prime minister and the president have congratulated Asma Jahangir upon her victory. The newly elected President of the SCBA has vowed not to allow anybody in the bar to represent any political party or the judiciary, Dunya News reported on Wednesday.
The election of Asma Jahangir has brought about a big change in the SCBA after a lapse of at least four years. The representatives of the lawyers movement had to face defeat who were deemed as opponents of the administration and staunch supporters of independent judiciary. It was the 13th annual election of the SCBA in which Asma Jahangir has been elected as the first woman president of the SCBA.
After 9th March, 2007, when the lawyers movement got started, the election of the SCBA gained a lot of importance and attention. After the start of the movement, all the elections of the bar were dominantly won by the active members and leaders of the movement. Munir A. Malik, Aitzaz Ahsan, Ali Ahmed Kurd and Qazi Anwar were all the elected presidents who declared themselves as the representatives of independent judiciary. For almost four years their influence remained in the SCBA but now the recent elections have brought about a change. Asma Jahangir, Ahmed Awais and Ikram Chaudhry were all active members of the lawyers movement but this time the representatives of independent judiciary seemed divided. Ahmed Awais who was from the Hamid Khan group was considered a true representative of the independent judiciary but the results of the election have been disappointing for the members and the leaders of the lawyers movement.
On the other hand Asma Jahangir has said that after the independence of the judiciary, she would now strive for the independence of bars.

Police highhandedness: IGP presents report in SC

Inspector General Punjab presented before the Supreme Court the report regarding police torture on the lawyers, Dunya News reported on Monday.
During hearing of a suo moto notice of the police highhandedness on the balckcoats, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry questioned that why the police barged into the barrooms and library and thrashed the lawyers when section 144 was not imposed over there.
He further asked that police wanted to conquer whom through gunfire; adding that had the police not violated the esteem of barroom and library, the current crisis would not have emerged.
However, the CJ also lamented the subsequent roughing up of the cops by some angry lawyers.
Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday observed that everybody would resort to lawlessness when the cops themselves break the laws. Is the police keeping some crooks who act in civvies? Justice Ramday asked.
On Friday, police reportedly entered the Lahore district courts, known as Aiwan-e-Adl including bar rooms and library and mercilessly thrashed the lawyers. Several lawyers, among them women, were wounded in the mayhem.
The government officials have been asked to explain why excessive force was used against the lawyers. They have also been asked to explain their position and produce records, if any, as to whether any action has been initiated against policemen responsible for using excessive force.Clashes continued between lawyers and police for the third day in a row on Saturday. Lawyers hurled small stones at the police after they were stopped from staging a rally outside the Awan-e-Adl. Angry lawyers smashed the glass windows of two police vehicles, dragged out the drivers and beat them with shoes. Police clubbed the lawyers and fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.
A group of lawyers also beat up two cameramen of private TV channels who were filming the incident. They snatched their cameras and destroyed the tape. The Punjab Bar Council also barred the entry of Khwaja Muhammad Sharif, Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, and prominent lawyers including Aitzaz Ahsan, Hamid Khan and Qazi Anwar, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and sons and sons-in-law of the LHC CJ from their building complex.

Khawaja Sharif, prominent lawyers banned from entering LHCBA

Staff Report

LAHORE: Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Khawaja Sharif, and several key lawyer leaders, including Aitzaz Ahsan and Hamid Khan, have been banned from entering Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

In a joint meeting held today, LHCBA and Punjab Bar Council (PBC) decided to impose a ban on Chief Justice Khwaja Sharif, his two sons and son-in-law, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, Qazi Anwar, Justice (retd.) Nasira Javed, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Hamid Khan and Athar Minallah from entering the bar.

They also decided to cancel the licenses of these lawyers.

LHCBA leaders alleged that the above mentioned people tried to damage the sanctity of the bar by speaking against the lawyers. They further said that Justice Khwaja Sharif had ordered police to baton-charge the protesting lawyers.

On appeal of the Punjab Bar Council,

Khawaja Sharif, prominent lawyers banned from entering LHCBA

Staff Report

LAHORE: Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Khawaja Sharif, and several key lawyer leaders, including Aitzaz Ahsan and Hamid Khan, have been banned from entering Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

In a joint meeting held today, LHCBA and Punjab Bar Council (PBC) decided to impose a ban on Chief Justice Khwaja Sharif, his two sons and son-in-law, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, Qazi Anwar, Justice (retd.) Nasira Javed, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Hamid Khan and Athar Minallah from entering the bar.

They also decided to cancel the licenses of these lawyers.

LHCBA leaders alleged that the above mentioned people tried to damage the sanctity of the bar by speaking against the lawyers. They further said that Justice Khwaja Sharif had ordered police to baton-charge the protesting lawyers.

On appeal of the Punjab Bar Council,

Lawyers protest, security on red alert

After the arrest of lawyers, heavy contingent of police has been deployed in Lahore High Court and other courts. Police have arrested more lawyers today and it locked the gates of Aewan-e-Adal to restrict the lawyers inside. Lawyers decided to stage protest in Aewan-e-Adal meeting and they tried to come out of Aewan-e-Adal, but police started arresting them as any kind of protests were banned under section 144. Police baton-charged lawyers and used tear gas shelling to disperse them. Lawyers retaliated and pelted stones on the policemen. The lawyers are of the view that they are not afraid of judges.
Lawyers of the Lahore District Bar attacked office of the Chief Justice Lahore High Court on Thursday to press their demand for the transfer of a Session Judge Zawar Ahmed from Lahore. They shattered windowpanes of the office and staged protest demonstration in the court premises afterwards. After this incident, police arrested 100 lawyers under Anti-Terrorism Act. On this, Punjab Bar Council announced to boycott of courts. District Administration has also imposed section 144 to ban all processions, gatherings and rallies on Mall Road and surrounding areas. The arrested lawyers would be presented in special Anti-Terrorism Court.
Former President of Supreme Bar Association Aitzaz Ahsan condemned the attack of lawyers on the office of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif.

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