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Unlikely popular heroes of Pakistan's opposition: lawyers
Thousands of lawyers have taken to the streets to protest Musharraf's controversial dismissal of the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
from the June 11, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
The protesting attorneys appear to have inspired other dissenters. On Saturday, Musharraf capitulated to a week of massive protests when he rescinded an anti-media law designed to limit coverage of the lawyers.
For its part, the Pakistani bar was first stirred into action with remarkable effect on March 9, when Musharraf tried to force Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to quit, alleging that he had misused his office for personal gain. Yet despite reports of a five-hour private showdown, in which Musharraf – in full military dress – called in generals and politicians to intimidate Mr. Chaudhry, the chief justice did not buckle.
Musharraf ended up tossing him off the court anyway, but the judge's defiance rallied a nation. Like most experts here, Pakistan's lawyers were outraged, arguing that Musharraf wished only to silence a judge who had been ruling against him. "This was the first time a person resisted all alone against the Army," says Iftikhar Qasi, president of the Karachi Bar Association.
At issue, lawyers say, was the independence of the judiciary and the last check on Musharraf's authority, and their response was immediate. The following day, bar associations from Karachi to Lahore called emergency meetings, in which tens of thousands of lawyers chose to fight the only way they knew how. "Lawyers know the law, and the law says everyone has a right to express themselves," says Shah.
In doing so, he has led a gathering that was pelted by tear gas. He has also been roughed up by police and he is now being investigated for terrorist activities. But Shah remains unbowed. Now, he says, he will not stop until Musharraf promises that he will abide by the results of elections this autumn and that the poll will be free and fair.
"In the past, the judiciary has been in collusion with the military," he says. "There is a chance now – if it comes out from under the military, that some relief will be given to the people of Pakistan."
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