[Reader-list] SAJA Forum Interview of Pakistani Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan

Thu Jul 3 02:33:48 IST 2008

note:

** ** Q. 3. What is your impression of the response to the Lawyers' Movement
by lawyers, bar associations and civil society in India? Has it been
like the response by lawyers and bar associations here in the United
States?

AITZAZ AHSAN: I think it has been insignificant. I don't know why, but
it has been quite insignificant. ** **

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From: Justice Media <justicemedianet at gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jul 2, 2008 at 5:31 AM
Subject: SAJA Forum Interview of Pakistani Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan
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- The REPORT PRESS - Special Reports Media - USA
- Chief Editor: Journalist SYED ADEEB
- http://www.SyedAdeeb.net  --  http://www.ReportPress.com
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SAJA Forum Interview of Pakistani Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan

PAKISTAN - Five Questions For Aitzaz Ahsan

http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/07/pakistan-five-q.html

By ANIL KALHAN

NEW YORK, USA, 1 July 2008 (SAJAforum) - This morning, Barrister-at-
Law Aitzaz Ahsan, the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association
of Pakistan (SCBAP) and the leader of Pakistan's 'lawyers' movement',
spoke to a large audience at the New York City Bar Association (NYCBA)
about the lawyers' movement, the importance of an independent
judiciary and the role of U.S. policy in Pakistan's judicial crisis.

During the past year, the New York City Bar has played an active role
in support of Pakistan's lawyers and judges - organizing a solidarity
rally with other area bar associations after General Pervez Musharraf
imposed "Emergency" rule in November 2007, issuing a statement
strongly urging Musharraf to restore the rule of law, and awarding an
honorary membership, one of the organization's highest honors, to
Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

In his remarks, Ahsan thanked U.S. lawyers and bar associations for
their "unstinting support for constitutionalism, rule of law and
reinstatement of an independent judiciary in Pakistan." He said that
last November's rally - which drew hundreds of New York lawyers to the
steps of the courthouse in lower Manhattan - "was an unprecedented
collective action and it was noticed throughout Pakistan." Ahsan
expressed his view that "what has endeared the people of America to
the people of Pakistan, despite the adversarial policies of the
American administration, has been the support of the bar
associations."

Following his address at the New York City Bar, Ahsan briefly talked
to SAJAforum about the lawyers' movement, the prospects for
reinstatement of the judges ousted by Musharraf and the role of
Pakistan's media:

Q. 1. There has been much speculation about what caused General
Musharraf to try to dismiss the Chief Justice of Pakistan [Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry] back in March 2007. What do you think caused him to
take that step?

AITZAZ AHSAN: I think that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz poisoned
Musharraf's ears after the Steel Mills Case, which was a judgment that
was an indictment of the Prime Minister. After the Supreme Court
decided that case, people started saying - including myself in
speeches in the National Assembly - that the Prime Minister could be
indicted and ought to be indicted. So there is some evidence of the
fact that Shaukat Aziz began to advise Musharraf to fire the Chief
Justice [Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry] and played on his fear that the
Chief Justice was going to decide against him in his bid to be the
President for another term. So I think it was mainly this, a paranoia
that was created in Musharraf's mind by Shaukat Aziz.

Q. 2. In the past, most Supreme Court justices in Pakistan have
cooperated with military coup leaders and even have sought to
legitimize military takeovers in their judicial decisions. What do you
think has made this moment different and caused so many judges to
react differently this time?

AITZAZ AHSAN: I think it was the inspiration that they got - that
everyone got, that the entire country got - from the refusal on the
9th of March [2007] by the Chief Justice to surrender his discretion
or to succumb to the pressure exerted upon him by five [Pakistan Army]
generals. I think that was the most inspirational moment in this
entire movement. And that had kind of a carryover momentum which
inspired more judges on the 3rd of November [2007] to refuse to
capitulate [when Musharraf imposed "Emergency" rule].

The lawyers' movement in Pakistan is unprecedented. In South Asian
history, there has never been a movement like this, sustained over 16
months now, more than a year. And for both lawyers and judges, it has
been the inspiration provided by one individual that has made it
happen. As [China Communist Party] Chairman Mao Zedong said: A single
spark can set an entire prairie on fire.

Q. 3. What is your impression of the response to the Lawyers' Movement
by lawyers, bar associations and civil society in India? Has it been
like the response by lawyers and bar associations here in the United
States?

AITZAZ AHSAN: I think it has been insignificant. I don't know why, but
it has been quite insignificant.

Q. 4. Publicly and officially, the Bush Administration has been
largely silent about the issues surrounding Pakistan's judiciary,
typically stating that it regards those issues as an "internal
matter." But there also have been reports indicating that some
Administration officials may have an affirmative desire to keep the
Chief Justice and the other judges removed by Musharraf from being
reinstated. What is your sense of what the Bush Administration's
actual position is on these issues?

AITZAZ AHSAN: I have a sense that the American administration would
like the judges not to be restored. Although I believe this position
was originally intended not to embarrass Pervez Musharraf, I think
that now that position has solidified and that Pervez Musharraf
himself is not as relevant as the fear of these independent judges.
Even the Americans seem to believe that independent judges may not be
good for their interests in Pakistan - which is a convoluted logic,
which is absolutely illogical, but I think that they now believe as
much.

Q. 5. The media in Pakistan has played a powerful role in covering the
events of the past year. Ironically, Musharraf has rather successfully
conveyed the impression that he has actually been the one responsible
for opening up Pakistan's media. What is your reaction to that?

AITZAZ AHSAN: Well, first of all, the media has played a very
significant and important role. Second, the gift of free media is not
Musharraf's gift; it is technology. There is no way you can keep the
free media out. If you keep the free media out, there will be
satellite [TV] channels and other channels that people will begin to
watch. So it's not out of any love for free media. It's out of the
fact that there cannot now, in this day and age, be a blackout of the
media. So if things will be watched by the people on other channels
anyway - from Indian [TV] channels, for instance - it's safer for the
[Pakistan] Government to have Pakistani [TV] channels and to be able
to influence those channels. And the [Pakistan] Government still does
influence the Pakistani [TV] channels. They knock out [TV] programs
that are critical, as has happened recently on [Pakistani Urdu] Geo
Television [Capital Talk show, moderated by Journalist Hamid Mir].

New York City Bar Event Detail:

Pakistani Leader to Give Update on Judicial Independence in Pakistan
Tuesday, July 1, 2008 - Breakfast, 8:45 a.m. - Program, 9:00 a.m.

Aitzaz Ahsan, President of Pakistan's Supreme Court Bar Association
and "Lawyers' Movement" leader, will speak on the situation in
Pakistan, particularly with regard to judicial independence and
efforts to reinstate members of the judiciary in Pakistan, including
Chief Justice [Iftikhar Muhammad] Chaudhry.

(1) BBC English and Urdu News About Pakistani Barrister-at-Law Aitzaz
Ahsan's June-July 2008 Visit to Washington DC and New York, USA

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7483792.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2008/06/080627_aitzaz_ahsan.shtml

(2) NYCBA HONORARY MEMBERSHIP BESTOWED UPON PAKISTAN CHIEF JUSTICE
IFTIKHAR MUHAMMAD CHAUDHRY

http://www.nycbar.org/PressRoom/PressRelease/2008_0114.htm

(3) Letter of NYCBA President Barry M. Kamins to Tyrant Musharraf

http://www.nycbar.org/pdf/report/0446_001.pdf

(4) Lahore High Court Verdict Against Former Pakistan Prime Minister
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Threatens To Split Ruling PPP-PMLN Coalition

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/jul2008/pak-j01.shtml

(5) The U.S. and Wild West are Still Conspiring to Break Pakistan: Dr.
Abdul Qadeer Khan

http://www.dictatorshipwatch.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5139

- -- http://www.dictatorshipwatch.com

- -- http://www.pakistanweekly.com

- -- http://www.insaf.pk

- -- http://pakistan.ahrchk.net

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ReportPress.com Newsletter Publication Date: Wednesday, 2 July 2008.

Publisher: REPORT PRESS - Special Reports Media - www.ReportPress.com
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