Lawyers organisations in Pakistan have threatened to go on strike if President Pervez Musharraf went ahead with his plans to seek re-election.
The lawyers, who successfully launched an agitation for reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry, will observe a strike and surround the Election Commission of Pakistan building when it scrutinises Musharraf's nomination papers.
This was decided at a lawyers' convention at the Punjab Bar Council in Lahore on Wednesday, The Dawn reported, adding that the lawyers' representatives from across Punjab province attended the meet.
The meeting gave a call to lawyers from all over the country to boycott courts and observe a black day when Musharraf submits his nomination papers to the ECP, according to a declaration issued at the convention.
"The house resolves that lawyers will remain on the frontline in their campaign against Musharraf and will not miss any chance to participate in any anti-Musharraf drive," it said.
The meeting came a day after the Election Commission said it would shortly announce the schedule for the presidential polls.
The cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday endorsed Musharraf's plan to get re-elected in uniform.
An apex court bench headed by Chaudhry has already admitted a petition of Jamat-e Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed challenging Musharraf's plans to seek re-election from the present assemblies.
Musharraf plans to address the nation on TV and radio to explain his ongoing dialogue with former Premier Benazir Bhutto, deportation of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his plans to seek re-election.
The address is expected to follow the next hearing of the petition in the Supreme Court challenging his dual offices on or after September 17.
Musharraf, in his address, may announce some drastic steps with far-reaching political consequences. He is also expected to announce steps for his re-election by the present
assemblies.
Musharraf is said to be extremely disturbed by the judicial and political challenges emerging in the wake of the deportation of Sharif to Jeddah on Monday, reports here said.
The lawyers' convention in Lahore also strongly criticised the ruling ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement, terming it a "terrorist organisation" for its alleged involvement in the May 12 clashes in Karachi that left over 40 people dead during the visit of Chaudhry there to address a function.
"MQM chief Altaf Husain, Sindh CM's adviser on interior Waseem Akhtar, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, the Sindh Inspector General of Police and the Rangers Director General should be booked for sabotaging the programme of the
Chief Justice of Pakistan," it said.
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