Aitzaz Ahsan should stop trying to pass the buck to one after another and accept responsibility where responsibility is due. This is how a leader should behave. IF he is man enough, he should not only stand by his resignation from the SCBA presidency but also as member of PPP, a party whom he has repeatedly flaunted, shamed and let down.
I don't think any leader in our country has shown any dignity in such circumstance where their organization, institution broke law or did something which would warrant a resignation from its chief in some "civil" society. No one has shown such behavior from army chiefs, to civilian chiefs, they are always thrown out or forced out. Its probably because they have never been held accountable for their actions.
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
Here is another Mushrraf chamcha gone totally mad.
Execute These Lawyers
Ahmed Quraishi
09 Apr 2008
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—The lawyers-cum-terrorists involved in the public murder attempt against former federal minister Sher Afgan Khan Niazi need to be arrested, summarily tried, and then executed in public. We cannot allow this to happen in Pakistan.
I wrote my column in The News International today, where a nameless editor censored and removed an entire paragraph on the hypocritical politics of this group of Aitezaz Ahsan- and Iftikhar Chaudhry-led lawyers.
I never thought that two paragraphs from this column – and one prediction about Aitezaz Ahsan – will prove so true in such a short time.
Tonight, Mr. Ahsan has jumped the ship of the lawyers’ movement as I predicted. [The complete column, including the portions censored by an unknown editor in The News, is published below.]
If you are a Pakistani citizen, please take strong exception to the two-faced, double-meaning statements coming from Mr. Ahsan and some politicians in a vain attempt to absolve themselves of the crime of creating and feeding hatred within Pakistanis that almost led to the murder of two gentlemen, Mr. Niazi and the former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim.
These ‘hooligan apologists’ are trying to absolve themselves and the criminal elements in this so-called lawyers’ movement of what clearly are the worst two incidents of undemocratic behavior in Pakistani history and in the history of British democracy that they so love to imitate. Gangsterism is part and parcel of the politics of the undemocratic Pakistani political parties and politicians.
Without any shame, Mr. Shehbaz Sharif is accusing our proud officers at Pakistan’s intelligence services of orchestrating this heinous crime. Asma Jahangir says this is a “conspiracy against democracy.” Sherry Rehman, the information minister, makes a half-hearted and hypocritical statement, condemning what happened but at the same time making lame excuses and trying to justify what happened to Mr. Niazi.
What a funny thing this accusation is. So our intelligence officers, finding Mr. Niazi surrounded by lawyers screaming blood and ready to lynch the former Musharraf ally to death, immediately send their men to malign the good name of these black coated vultures. What a theory, Mr. Shehbaz Sharif.
Joining the band of apologists, Mr. Rehman Malik, the de facto interior minister, said intelligence officers would be prosecuted if found involved. Can politics get any lower than this? Mr. Rehman won’t condemn the lawyers’ and his party buddy Aitzaz Ahsan and his lawyers who actually were involved and instead chooses to make a statement on intelligence officers based on a hypothesis.
The funniest joke on this sad day came from none other than Mr. Ahsan himself. In the true colors of a seasoned cunning politician, Mr. Ahsan hurriedly called a press conference to accuse President Musharraf for what happened.
How is Musharraf responsible? Mr. Ahsan said that his client, the former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, is not responsible for the political tension in the country, Mr. Musharraf is.
Not a single reporter dared to ask Mr. Ahsan this follow-up question: Is this the time to play politics and deflect the anger of the Pakistanis and try to divert it toward your political foes? Is not this the lowest form of cheap politics?
Mr. Ahsan tried to create confusion by referring to men in white dresses, which is a cheap way of implying that undercover police was involved. He tried to blame the police saying there wasn’t enough of them on the scene. In short, Mr. Ahsan played every single dirty trick in their political book to absolve himself and his lawyer colleagues of responsibility.
But the most stunning move of the wily Mr. Ahsan was his resignation from the leadership of the lawyers’ movement. What a sharp political mind he has. For the past few days, I have been reporting that Mr. Ahsan has reneged on his word and is now willing to enter this newly elected parliament whose election he so feverishly campaigned to boycott. Now he discovers he can’t stay out of politics for five years and make a simple living out of leading a bunch of crazy, unruly, and un-lawyerly lawyers. He has been planning to ditch the lawyers’ movement for several days now. Tonight, he seizes a perfect opportunity to jump the ship.
All Pakistanis should know that Mr. Aitezaz Ahsan and Mr. Iftikhar Chaudhry are directly responsible for making scores of hate speeches and encouraging the politics of hate, confrontation and disrespect for their countrymen who hold different opinions. They have wreaked havoc with the nation’s stability and made Pakistan a laughing stock in the world, showing us as a people incapable of rational, civilized behavior.
This incident, and the shameless, deliberate physical violence in the cheapest form against Sindh’s former chief minister, show that this existing lot of Pakistani politicians is incapable of leading Pakistan to democracy.
I have been one of a handful of Pakistani commentators who have been urging President Musharraf for the past five years not to prematurely restore democracy and focus instead on reforming the political system, improving the constitution, and cleanse the system through harsh accountability. Today, we are reaping the rewards of that premature decision in Fall 2002.
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
DAWN Editorial
Reprehensible conduct
NO amount of censure is enough for those who manhandled Dr Sher Afgan Niazi in Lahore on Tuesday. The former parliamentary affairs minister, who locked himself inside the chambers of his advocate for several hours before being attacked by angry lawyers, is a heart patient. But this consideration did nothing to lessen the wrath of the frenzied mob that verbally and physically assaulted him as he tried to get into a waiting ambulance. Coming in the final hours of the caretaker government, it would, of course, be very tempting for some quarters to attribute the unwholesome event to elements seeking to undermine the lawyers’ movement. If indeed there is a grain of truth in this theory, then it is even more incumbent on the lawyers to thwart such designs by showing restraint when passions are whipped up. The truth is that a movement that stood for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary is in danger of turning into a self-absorbed, opinionated entity with no regard for the values of tolerance.
There is no doubt that Dr Sher Afgan fully supported President Musharraf’s autocratic order that played havoc with the judicial institution. But the lawyers’ revenge could have been sweeter had they kept within the limits of civilised and lawful conduct and refrained from attacking the former minister. If victory is finally theirs, it will be marred by such instances of wild behaviour and their inability to understand that the rule of law is not about heroes and villains but a clear vision achieved through a principled struggle. The other concern is the inaction of the police. Is it possible that a force that previously showed itself to be quite adept at thrashing and tear-gassing lawyers could, in this case, not protect a lone man against the mob’s excesses? The fact of the matter is that the law-enforcement forces are too politicised for anyone’s good. Caught between the outgoing and incoming political orders — both having diametrically opposed visions — there must have been considerable confusion within their ranks. Would they be hauled over the coals for forcibly restraining the lawyers whose star is in the ascendancy? Or would they receive a rap on the knuckles from a pro-Musharraf dispensation for not protecting a politician who was the president’s right-hand man? This is yet another example of how institutions are impeded in their duties by political masters whose individual or party agendas keep them from following the course of the law.
In keeping with the newfound spirit of forgiveness and national unity, the coalition government would do well to promote tolerance among the public. Both the Sher Afgan and Arbab Rahim incidents show that the anger of those who suffered under President Musharraf has reached a boiling point. Unless they are advised to keep their anger in check, in fact to channel their energies to protect the rule of law, the government, despite its democratic credentials, will find it difficult to prevent the country from sliding into an era of anarchy.
Following on from Najam Sethi’s piece yesterday in the** Daily Times**, today’s Editorial.
Therefore the events of this week in Karachi and Lahore have awakened the media to something that has been happening quietly in the background as they lionised the lawyers and gave good sound bites to their leaders. The depiction of violence that grew out of the confrontation between the lawyers and the government has inclined the lawyers to what they think is “reactive” aggression. But the lawyers are not a political party and are not disciplined. A large section are also a part of the problems hounding the judiciary. They are led by Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, but those of them allied to the confrontationist-boycotters Jama’at-e Islami and the Tehreek-e Insaf may not agree with his worldview, and he does not have the charter to compel them to follow his thinking. (Hence the supplication or hath jorna.) On the other hand, unfortunately, his “countdown” and veiled threats of agitation have further moved the already unruly ones towards misbehaviour.
If the earlier media was biased in showing us only the strengths and vitality of the lawyers’ movement, the media on Tuesday showed us what’s also wrong with the lawyers’ movement. Indeed, we cannot defend certain violent tendencies in sections of the lawyers’ movement and the media has to realise that the government is no longer the Musharraf establishment but a democratic coalition that can be effective only if it sticks together and remains based on national reconciliation. Therefore it is time for the media to become less partisan on the question of whether or not parliament should submit to the “countdown” of the lawyers’ movement or consider issues put before it through discussion and consensus.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday met Dr Sher
Afgan Niazi in the parliament house and condemned the incident at Lahore
where the former minister was roughed up.
The Prime Minister assured Dr Niazi that an inquiry will be conducted into the incident. “You are a senior parliamentarian and an asset for us. We have great regard for you and will conduct an inquiry into what happened in Lahore,” Prime Minister Gilani said.
Dr Sher Afgan thanked the prime minister for his kind words and said that the incident must be investigated into otherwise it could have some repercussions for the government in future.
Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was also present on the
occasion.
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
I wonder how many of these Pro-Musharraf folks wept when those lawyers got burned and shot by the goons of Afghan, his son and his tribe, and his Q-League buddies.
How about condemning those deaths? Huh? Jeeez…the guy just got slapped for Godsake…and the payback was deaths. I guess some people never forget their ways.
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
Horrible. The killings in Karachi are totally condemnable - no excuses, no justifications.
Out of six of the people, who were burnt at Tahir Plaza on April 9, five belong to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the total death toll of its activists has reached six. Nobody was an advocate among the dead, said Anwar Alam at a press conference by the MQM’s Rabita Committee at Nine Zero Thursday. “The peace of the city is being disturbed in a well-planned conspiracy and we demand the president, prime minister, governor and chief minister hold an independent and neutral inquiry,” he demanded.
Sobia alias Gurya (w/o Shoaib Raza resident of Gulistan-e-Johar) and Razi Batool (w/o Nadeem Shaikh resident of Gulistan-e-Johar) were agents of the MQM during the polls for Hyder Abbas Rizvi and Faisal Sabzwari. Basit Mehmood was an activist of the MQM’s unit No 125 Orangi Town, a resident of Faiz-e-Aam Colony. Dawer Hussain wa an activist of MQM unit No 107 Shah Faisal Colony and a resident of Al-Falah Society. Saeed Akhter alias Danish was an activist of MQM’s unit No 107 Shah Faisal Colony. The sixth one, Abdul Sami, was an MQM activist of unit No 103 Al-Falah Society, and he died on April 10 in firing.
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
What an excellent gesture by Prime Minister Gilani. :k:
Pity that the rabble rousing Aitzaz Ahsan has once again lied to his followers, and seemingly gone back on his resignation, after the torture of Dr Sher Afghan by his colleagues.
Aitzaz may withdraw resignation today
LAHORE: Aitzaz Ahsan, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), will likely withdraw his resignation on Friday (today) in Islamabad, sources told Daily Times on Thursday. Aitzaz announced he would resign on Wednesday, in protest over the manhandling of former federal minister Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi. The sources said bar associations across the country were asking him not to resign, as the lawyers movement for the restoration of the sacked judges was in a defining phase. SCBA media adviser
Muhammad Azhar Siddique said that around 50 bars had requested Aitzaz not to resign, saying they would also quit if he did not withdraw his resignation. He said Aitzaz’s announcement was intended to calm emotionally charged lawyers, not to manhandle Afgan. SCBA (Punjab) Vice President Ghulam Nabi Bhatti said the executive committee of the SCBA would not accept Aitzaz’s resignation. rana tanveer
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
Nice try champ.
If the dead in Karachi are MQM followers than the rest of Pakistan and the rest of Karachi are all cheering. May more of these terrorist scums get the justice the deserve.
As for Niazi, ask anyone common person in Lahore and EVERYONE enjoyed his humiliation. Theres a reason everyone loves Nawaz and co. right now and that is because they are going to humiliate Mushy and his cowardly little brigade of tyrants (inshallah)
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
PML(N) is not and cannot be responsible for what happened to Sher Afghan because if you think about it logically, why would NS and SS let such a thing happen just a night before the Punjab Assembly is to take oath. It would give them a bad name.
Now who could possibly benefit from this happening? Yup you guessed it! Bitter losers of Q-League, it gave them an excuse to boycott the Assembly after taking oath. Not only that, but this occured right after the incident in Karachi. It's not rocket science, you just have to put two and two together.
Moreover, Governor of Punjab did not come to rescue Sher Afghan, it was Aitzaz who rushed to the scene and took the beating along with Sher Afghan. It was after Sher Afghan was taken out of the area and securely sent away, that Punjab Governor so conveniently brought him to the Governor house. Bravo!!!
Atleast lawyers community, and all coalition parties had the dignity to condemn what happened, and order investigations. Something that previous Govt. never did.
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
Yes, I believe that this is one of the lawyers who Justice Tariq Mehmood was referring to, when he said he saw leading lawyers beating up Dr Sher Afghan. The lawyers movement has now been warned by a leading PPP Senator Dr Babar Awan to end their confrontational policies now, or risk even worse violence.
**No one should dictate terms to parliament: Babar Awan
** ‘Parliament cannot be subjected to any coercion to do certain things’
Friday, April 11, 2008
ISLAMABAD: The central leader of Pakistan People’s Party, Senator Dr Babar Awan, on Thursday expressed concern over threats to parliament and said no one should dictate terms to the sovereign body representing the will of the entire nation. ** Criticising the role of some bar leaders, he told a news conference that there was no room for ‘kingship’ in any organisation of lawyers and no one should run a bar association like a king, as leadership changed in regular bar elections. He warned against using terms like ‘countdown’ and said such threatening language should be avoided.** Commenting on the prevailing situation in the country, Dr Babar Awan said there was a dire need to launch a “Bardasht Karo Tehreek (movement for tolerance)” instead of promoting politics of intolerance in the country.
**Politics of torture, character assassination and intolerance towards opponents over difference of opinion is worse than dictatorship, Senator Babar Awan said. **“The lawyers have rendered sacrifices for the cause of democracy,” Babar Awan said and pointed that he and a number of other lawyers had faced imprisonment during the struggle.
It was, therefore, incumbent upon all to eschew any behaviour that might hurt democracy in the country, he added. ”Let us beware of provocateurs,” he said, adding that attempts were being made to create a strife between lawyers and the public, which was against national interest. Meanwhile, former law minister Abdul Hafeez Pirzada told journalists in Islamabad that the opposition members in the federal and provincial assemblies were under pressure, which would be harmful for democracy. The former law minister criticised what he called threats of long march and storming of parliament by some leaders of the lawyers’ community for restoration of the deposed judges.Such ‘ultimatums’ are fraught with repercussions for the smooth running of democratic institutions, he said, adding that it was unjustified and wrong to put pressure on parliament and assemblies. ”Parliament is a sovereign body which cannot be subjected to any coercion to do certain things,” he said. Pirzada said the issue of the deposed judges was before parliament and there was no justification for giving deadlines to the elected representatives of the people. He expressed the view that the Murree Declaration was in a “raw shape” and it needed to be improved through discussion between its signatories. Pirzada said it appeared that the declaration had been made in a hurry and differences between the two parties had started coming to the fore. In reply to a question about the existing Supreme Court, Pirzada said lawyers like Khalid Anwar, Akram Sheikh, Babar Awan and Latif Khosa were appearing before it in various cases which, according to him, showed their acceptance of the court.
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
Aitzaz Ehsan has just resigned from SC Presidency because of the very recent events taking place in lahore. Lawyers surrounded Sher Afghan Niazi (:CareBear:), he is reported to be having heart problems. I hope he recovers.
Re: Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi manhandled by lawyers-Aitezaz plans to resign as President S
I wonder if some like ex law minister Chodhury Wasi Zafar will also get beaten up / slapped with chapals?
I'll open a thread when that happen. Rest assured i do plan on inserting the (:CareBear:) just like now because these apologists didn't mumble a single word against the atrocities against the public at-large by their beloved. Now they come crying foul when the public smacks those part of the regime involved.
PS: Did you guy see the lawyer who Afghan went to meet say very clearly that "The lawyers were NOT involved". But we'll let the investigation decide that, ATLEAST there is an investigation which i think is silly for someone getting smacked, when there wasn't even an investigation on massacres such as May 12, and all other countless incidents right under the watch of these very ministers and their lord Musharraf.
