Lawyers' Movement
Encyclopedia
The Lawyers' Movement was the name given to the popular mass protest movement started by the lawyers of Pakistan in response to the dictatorial actions of 9 March 2007, by the country's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, when he unconstitutionally sacked Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
, the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
The Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
with the backing of politicians declared the suspension of the Chief Justice an "assault on independence of judiciary".
activists, media
, students and especially the lawyers community took to the streets to protest against the suspension of the Chief Justice.
Presidents of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan Munir A. Malik
, Aitzaz Ahsan
, and Ali Ahmad Kurd
along with others lawyer leaders led the Lawyers' Movement.
On July 20, 2007, the Council (Supreme Court of Pakistan
) restored Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the Chief Justice of Pakistan and dismissed the charges against him.
On November 3, 2007, dictator Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency
in Pakistan and again dismissed the Chief Justice along with sixty other judges, illegally and unconstitutionally, who refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order
(PCO).
Lawyers, civil society, human rights activists, journalists and the media and people from all walks of life took to the streets once more to protest for the restoration of the judiciary and removal of the state of emergency. The Chief Justice was eventually restored by Prime Minister Gilani. Many believe that General Kayani was behind this restoration as the US establishment became interested in the resolution of this issue.
, Aitzaz Ahsan
, and members vowed to fight and restore the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
carried out a 10 Million signature movement. As the name suggests, the purpose of the movement was to get 10 million signatures on a large white cloth which was to be presented to the parliament at the end of long march. Political party workers, concerned citizen and lawyers participated and signed the petition.
On March 16, 2009 the Lawyers' Community had given a call for nationwide 'Long March'. Many political parties like the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Group), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami and others supported and participated in the Long March. All the supporters of the 'restoration of judges' participated in the Long March despite a ban imposed on protests and rallies under Section 144 by the government.
even had to face a ban.
Days before the call for 16 March 2009 Long March, Geo News
carried out a series of public service message campaign which was sponsored by Mir Khalil ur Rehman
Foundation (MKRF) for restoration of the judges. One of the campaign's message was a 8 minutes 12 Seconds video which showed all the promises and statements, especially by Pakistan Peoples Party
leaders, about the restoration of the judges but were not fulfilled. The campaign proved very successful in educating people and reminding the government of their commitments. The government even blocked Geo News in many parts of the country as the government believed the campaign was biased.
This steps of Geo news makes very constructive role in lawyers` movement, and in the end there is victory of Judiciary,Media,civil-society and every Pakistani. Print and electronic media play their positive role.
Critics says that , print and electronic media , at times do crossed their limits of authority and helped creating a negative sentiment about the , government among masses regarding the Chief Justice issue , however the Lawyers movement do succeeded in getting the interest of commons , television channels covered the ralleys of Judge for hours continuously
(PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami
, Pakistan Muslim League
(PMLN), Pakhtun-khwa Milli Awami Party
, Awami National Party
and Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) supported the Lawyers' Movement on different occasions.
. The poem later became the anthem of Lawyers' Movement.Aitzaz Ahsans contributed greatly in the Lawyers movement of Pakistan , although he faced severe pressure , being a member of PPPP CEC .
Suspension of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was made a "non functional Chief Justice" on March 9, 2007. In so acting, President Pervez Musharraf invoked two main clauses of the Constitution of Pakistan.-Article 180:Acting Chief Justice....
, the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
The Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
The Supreme Court Bar Association is a legal body comprising the supreme court lawyers in Pakistan. It is currently headed by Asma Jahangir. Ms. Jahangir has been a leading human rights activist and lawyer in South Asia...
with the backing of politicians declared the suspension of the Chief Justice an "assault on independence of judiciary".
History
The civil society, human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activists, media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
, students and especially the lawyers community took to the streets to protest against the suspension of the Chief Justice.
Presidents of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan Munir A. Malik
Munir A. Malik
Munir A. Malik is a prominent Pakistani lawyer and key leader of the Lawyers' Movement in Pakistan. He is the former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan...
, Aitzaz Ahsan
Aitzaz Ahsan
Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan is a Pakistani lawmaker, barrister, and politician from Pakistan's People's Party who served as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.-Early life and education:...
, and Ali Ahmad Kurd
Ali Ahmad Kurd
Ali Ahmad Kurd was the President of Supreme Court Bar Association and a key leader of the Lawyers' Movement in Pakistan.He belongs to the famous Baloch tribe of Kurd related to Magsi Balochis....
along with others lawyer leaders led the Lawyers' Movement.
On July 20, 2007, the Council (Supreme Court of Pakistan
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court is the apex court in Pakistan's judicial hierarchy, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It has number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. It has a number of de jure powers which are outlined in the...
) restored Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the Chief Justice of Pakistan and dismissed the charges against him.
On November 3, 2007, dictator Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
in Pakistan and again dismissed the Chief Justice along with sixty other judges, illegally and unconstitutionally, who refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order
Provisional Constitutional Order
A Provisional Constitutional Order, or PCO, is an extra-constitutional order that suspends either wholly or partially the Constitution of Pakistan...
(PCO).
Lawyers, civil society, human rights activists, journalists and the media and people from all walks of life took to the streets once more to protest for the restoration of the judiciary and removal of the state of emergency. The Chief Justice was eventually restored by Prime Minister Gilani. Many believe that General Kayani was behind this restoration as the US establishment became interested in the resolution of this issue.
List of judges removed on 3 November 2007
- Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry - Chief Justice of Pakistan
- Justice Rana Bhagwan Daas
- Khalil ur Rehman Ramday
- Javed Iqbal
- Raja Fayaz Ahmad
- Mian Shakirullah Jan
- Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad
- Khawaja Sharrif
- Shahid Siddiqui
Prominent leaders of the Lawyers' Movement
- Aitzaz AhsanAitzaz AhsanChaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan is a Pakistani lawmaker, barrister, and politician from Pakistan's People's Party who served as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.-Early life and education:...
- Ali Ahmad KurdAli Ahmad KurdAli Ahmad Kurd was the President of Supreme Court Bar Association and a key leader of the Lawyers' Movement in Pakistan.He belongs to the famous Baloch tribe of Kurd related to Magsi Balochis....
- Munir A. MalikMunir A. MalikMunir A. Malik is a prominent Pakistani lawyer and key leader of the Lawyers' Movement in Pakistan. He is the former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan...
- Justice Tariq Mahmood
- Athar MinallahAthar MinallahAthar Minallah is a High Court lawyer in Pakistan.Athar Minallah is the eldest son of Nasr Minallah, a former chief secretary of a province of Pakistan and commissioner in the civil services during the 1960s and 1970s. Nasrum Minallh was a distinguished civil servant who came from the Pashto...
- Hamid KhanHamid KhanHamid Khan, played by Ernie Hudson Jr., is a fictional character in the HBO series Oz.- Character overview :Prisoner #99K515. Convicted March 6, 1999 - Aggravated assault. Sentence: 10 years, eligible for parole in five....
- Latif AfridiLatif AfridiAbdul Latif Afridi is a lawyer, currently vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council and the former president of the Pakistan Peshawar High Court Bar Association...
- Anwar Kamalhttp://lhcbar.org/President200809.asp
- Mian Muhammad Aslamhttp://lhcbar.org/vicepresident200809.asp
- Hamid KhanHamid KhanHamid Khan, played by Ernie Hudson Jr., is a fictional character in the HBO series Oz.- Character overview :Prisoner #99K515. Convicted March 6, 1999 - Aggravated assault. Sentence: 10 years, eligible for parole in five....
http://lhcbar.org/vicepresident200809.asp - Abdul Samad Khan Bisryahttp://lhcbar.org/vicepresident200809.asp
The Start of the Lawyers' Movement
The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of PakistanSupreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
The Supreme Court Bar Association is a legal body comprising the supreme court lawyers in Pakistan. It is currently headed by Asma Jahangir. Ms. Jahangir has been a leading human rights activist and lawyer in South Asia...
, Aitzaz Ahsan
Aitzaz Ahsan
Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan is a Pakistani lawmaker, barrister, and politician from Pakistan's People's Party who served as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.-Early life and education:...
, and members vowed to fight and restore the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Mission of the Lawyers' Movement
The main objective of the lawyers movement was establishment of Rule of Law, Supremacy of the Constitution, and Civilian Supremacy over the military. Restoration of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, along with sixty judges dismissed by Pervez Musharraf illegally on 3 November 2007 were secondary objectives.Rallies and protests
On January 21, 2009 the Lahore High Court Bar AssociationLahore High Court Bar Association
Lahore High Court Bar Association is situated in Lahore.Lahore Bar as a collective group took birth somewhere before 1892-93 and its first President was elected in 1993. In 1910 the Executive Committee recommended that the Bar Association should be registered...
carried out a 10 Million signature movement. As the name suggests, the purpose of the movement was to get 10 million signatures on a large white cloth which was to be presented to the parliament at the end of long march. Political party workers, concerned citizen and lawyers participated and signed the petition.
On March 16, 2009 the Lawyers' Community had given a call for nationwide 'Long March'. Many political parties like the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Group), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami and others supported and participated in the Long March. All the supporters of the 'restoration of judges' participated in the Long March despite a ban imposed on protests and rallies under Section 144 by the government.
Crackdown on lawyers
The government arrested, detained and tortured lawyers on different occasions. For the first time in the history of Pakistan, armored police vehicles entered the premises of the Lahore High Court to attack the protesting lawyers who had sought refuge within the high court building. Several lawyer leaders were kept under house arrest for several months. Munir A Malik developed serious health problems due to this confinement. In Karachi, anti-lawyers movement and ally of the government Muttahida Qaumi Movement(MQM) torched a lawyer's office in which about 7 lawyers were burnt alive. In Sahiwal, police acting on the orders of the Musharraf regime attacked the lawyers with a petrol bomb, causing several lawyers to suffer major burns.Milestones
The first achievement of the Lawyers' journey was on July 20, 2007, when the Supreme Court refused to affix its imprimatur on Pervez Musharraf's attempt to dismiss the Chief Justice, who was then restored to his office with full dignity and authority.Timeline of Lawyers' Movement
- 9 March 2007 Musharraf removes Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. The removal brought months of protests by lawyers.
- 20 July 2007 the Supreme Court of Pakistan restored the Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry with full dignity and authority.
- 3 November 2007 Musharraf imposed state of emergency. Constitution was suspended. Sixty independent judges were dismissed.
- 5 November 2007 Police raided the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA). After baton charging and throwing tear gas into the premises, arrested more than 800 lawyers.
- 28 Nov, 2007 General Musharraf retired from Pakistan Army, and thus, gave up one of the two offices he was holding.
- 27 Dec, 2007 Prominent political leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.
- 18 Feb, 2008 Gen Musharraf's backed PML(Q) could only win small number of Electoral seats, while his opponents PPP and PML(N) formed majority government.
- 9 March 2008 leaders of political parties Asif Ali ZardariAsif Ali ZardariAsif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
, Pakistan Peoples PartyPakistan Peoples PartyThe Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
and Nawaz SharifNawaz SharifMian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
Pakistan Muslim LeaguePakistan Muslim LeagueThe Pakistan Muslim League was founded in 1962, as a successor to the previously disbanded Muslim League in Pakistan. Unlike the original PML which ended in 1958 when General Ayub Khan banned all political parties, each subsequent Muslim League was in some way propped by the military dictators of...
signed an agreement to restore the judges within 30 days of formation of national government. Zardari backed out and the coalition failed to restore the judges.
- 24 March 2008 Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered, soon after being elected Prime Minister, that all detained judges be released.
- 12 May 2008 was another deadlineTime limitA time limit or deadline is a narrow field of time, or particular point in time, by which an objective or task must be accomplished.In project management, deadlines are most often associated with milestone goals....
for restoring the judges but nothing was done. This was the second commitment the government backed out from after the initial deadline of 'within 30 days of formation of government' which ended on 30 April 2008.
- 17 May 2008 Pakistan Bar CouncilPakistan Bar CouncilPakistan Bar Council was established by the Parliament in 1973 under the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act. It is the highest elected body of lawyers. it has twenty members elected throughout the country representing each province. The Members of the Pakistan Bar Council are elected on the...
announced a long march from LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
to IslamabadIslamabadIslamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
will be held on 10 June 2009. Peoples Lawyers Forum (PLF) considered it against the Pakistan Peoples PartyPakistan Peoples PartyThe Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
government and did not support the long march.
- 14 June 2008 historic long march was held, thousands of people from all walks of life participated.
- 8 August 2008 ruling coalition leaders Sharif and Zardari once more agree to restore Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry as the chief justice if Musharraf resigns. But when Musharraf stepped down, Zardari backed out of the deal for the third time.
- 18 August 2008 Musharraf resigned. Lawyers considered the resignation a great achievement and celebrated.
- 25 August 2008 Sharif's party, leaves the coalition government.
- 6 September 2008 Asif Ali Zardari is elected the President of PakistanPresident of PakistanThe President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
by the parliament.
- 28 October 2008 Ali Ahmad KurdAli Ahmad KurdAli Ahmad Kurd was the President of Supreme Court Bar Association and a key leader of the Lawyers' Movement in Pakistan.He belongs to the famous Baloch tribe of Kurd related to Magsi Balochis....
was elected the president of Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association. This energized the struggle of restoration of judiciary.
- 25 February 2009 Supreme Court disqualifies Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz SharifShahbaz SharifMian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif is a well-known conservative Pakistani politician and currently President of Pakistan Muslim League . He is the brother of Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is the chief minister of Pakistan's most populous province Punjab since 2008...
from holding or contesting public offices.
- 11 March 2009 several hundred lawyers and opposition party's political workers and leaders were arrested. Ban was placed on rallies and protests in two of the Pakistan's four provinces.
- 12 March 2009 lawyers, political workers and civil society gather in several cities for the Long March to Islamabad. Scuffle with police, hundred of arrests were made, none allowed to leave their cities for Islamabad.
- 15 March 2009 authorities placed Nawaz Sharif, Atizaz Ahsan and many other leaders under house arrest. Sharif broke through the road blocks with his supporters and came out on the roads in LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
to begin the Long March. This is believed to be the turning pointTurning PointTurning point may refer to:* A a point at which the derivative changes sign. See stationary point, in mathematics* A climax , in narrative structure* A discrimen, one of the two marked points on a cursus or classical-period race-track...
of the movement Thousands of people joined the rally.
- Midnight 15/16 March 2009 government gave when thousands of people moved towards Islamabad led by Nawaz Sharif. Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry was restored as Chief Justice of Pakistan and other judges dismissed by Musharraf. The long march was put to an end after the intervention and assurance of Army chief , Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani , into the matter. And as per his promise with Nawaz , Judghes including the CJ , restored the same night .
Role of the media
The print and electronic media were very active in the Lawyers' Movement. Geo NewsGEO News
Geo News is a Karachi-based Pakistani news channel, fully owned and operated by Jang Group. The channel started its broadcasting in November 2005 and has millions of Urdu-language viewers around the world.- Popular Shows :...
even had to face a ban.
Days before the call for 16 March 2009 Long March, Geo News
GEO News
Geo News is a Karachi-based Pakistani news channel, fully owned and operated by Jang Group. The channel started its broadcasting in November 2005 and has millions of Urdu-language viewers around the world.- Popular Shows :...
carried out a series of public service message campaign which was sponsored by Mir Khalil ur Rehman
Mir Khalil ur Rehman
Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman was the founder and editor of the Jang Group of Newspapers which has currently grown to be the most popular Urdu and English newspapers in Pakistan. As a founder of the hugely-circulated Jang Group of newspapers, he is a legend in Pakistan...
Foundation (MKRF) for restoration of the judges. One of the campaign's message was a 8 minutes 12 Seconds video which showed all the promises and statements, especially by Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
leaders, about the restoration of the judges but were not fulfilled. The campaign proved very successful in educating people and reminding the government of their commitments. The government even blocked Geo News in many parts of the country as the government believed the campaign was biased.
This steps of Geo news makes very constructive role in lawyers` movement, and in the end there is victory of Judiciary,Media,civil-society and every Pakistani. Print and electronic media play their positive role.
Critics says that , print and electronic media , at times do crossed their limits of authority and helped creating a negative sentiment about the , government among masses regarding the Chief Justice issue , however the Lawyers movement do succeeded in getting the interest of commons , television channels covered the ralleys of Judge for hours continuously
Role of Political Parties
Pakistan Tehreek-e-InsafPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is "Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem".-Founding:...
(PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami
Jamaat-e-Islami
This article is about Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. For other organizations of similar name see Jamaat-e-Islami The Jamaat-e-Islami , is a Pro-Muslim political party in Pakistan...
, Pakistan Muslim League
Pakistan Muslim League
The Pakistan Muslim League was founded in 1962, as a successor to the previously disbanded Muslim League in Pakistan. Unlike the original PML which ended in 1958 when General Ayub Khan banned all political parties, each subsequent Muslim League was in some way propped by the military dictators of...
(PMLN), Pakhtun-khwa Milli Awami Party
Pakhtun-khwa Milli Awami Party
Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party / ) is a Pashtun democratic political party in Pakistan. The moto of PkMAP is to unite Pushtuns of Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan.Mahmood Khan Achakzai is the current party chairman...
, Awami National Party
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
and Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
(PPP) supported the Lawyers' Movement on different occasions.
Lawyers' Movement anthem
Aitzaz Ahsan wrote a poem while he was under house arrestHouse arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
. The poem later became the anthem of Lawyers' Movement.Aitzaz Ahsans contributed greatly in the Lawyers movement of Pakistan , although he faced severe pressure , being a member of PPPP CEC .
External links
- Movement for Rule of Law, Related to Lawyers Movement Pakistan.
- Pakistan Lawyers’ Movement Shows Global Reach of Nonviolence - November 9, 2007
- The New York Times - Lawyers Angered as Hopes for Change Fade November 7, 2007
- Human Rights Watch November 7, 2007
- Can the ‘black coats’ restore democracy? Times Online - June 26, 2008
- A chronology of the lawyers’ movement - Daily Times, 3 November 2008