November 2007,Hunger strike against the unconstitutional act of dictator

November 2007

Hunger strike against the unconstitutional act of dictator

Mubashir Bhutta Advocate civil rights and human rights lawyers along with team members Mr.M.R saithe advocate and Mr.Sakhi Gazali advocate,Mr.Muzaffar Iqbal Soofi advocate,Mr.Syed Amir Bukhari Advocate and Mr.Yaseen Azad Advocate went on hunger strike and protest on this unconstitutional act

On 3 November 2007, the reelected president Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan and imposed a provisional constitutional order (PCO). Under the PCO, Musharraf dismissed the chief justice again and removed about sixty other judges. Several opposition politicians and lawyers called the removal of these judges as “illegal and unconstitutional”.

In shuffling the functions of the judiciary, several judges to asked to take oath under the 2007 PCO arrangements. The lawyers, in turn, refused to take oath under the PCO and reacted to the dismissals and the emergency rule by boycotting the courts and taking part in protests and hunger strikes. People from outside the legal community also took part in these protests further motivated by political agendas. The international pressure following the nationwide protest forced Musharraf to end emergency rule in December 2007. In ending the emergency rule, Musharraf still did not reinstate Chaudhry and the other judges who had refused to take oath under the PCO arrangements. These judges had persistently protested and did so until Musharraf resigned in August 2008.