CJI Urged To Boycott SAARC Karachi Law Meet

New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) Citing Pakistan's ''contempt for the highest judiciary,'' the Bar Association of India tonight urged an Indian delegation to boycott a South Asian law conference scheduled in Pakistan.

''No meaningful law conference can take place in an atmosphere that shows contempt for the highest judiciary,'' BAI president Fali Sam Nariman said in a statement.

Nariman was referring to the dismissal and house arrest of Pakistan's Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary six days ago by President Pervez Musharraf.

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishan is scheduled to attend the three-day South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation Law Conference in Karach from March 23-25.

Nariman said the BAI ''strongly urges the SAARC Law Delegation scheduled to visit Pakistan on March 22 to forbear frOm attending the SAARC Law Conference.'' Nariman said the reported lathi charge on Pakistani lawyers protesting ''this blatant act against the highest judiciary, does not augur well'' for a congenial atmosphere of regional cooperation SAARC stands for.

Indian Bar groups have condemned the ''humiliation'' inflicted on Justice Chaudhary.

Details of allegations against him have not been made public.

Published accounts say Musharraf's action might have to do with the Judge's effort to make authorities account for people who disappeared after being taken into custody.

Justice Chaudhary was appointed in 2005 but perceived by authorities as ''controversial'' for trying to assert judicial independence and taking up human rights cases including those involving disappearances.

Human rights groups say at least 400 people have disappeared since Pakistan joined the United States-led war on terrorism in 2001.

A New Delhi-based International Bench and Bar Association charged last nIght that the exclusion of a senior Hindu Judge from a judicial panel considering complaints against Justice Chaudhary raised 'serious' questions about its bona fides.

''The President has every right to make reference to Supreme Judicial Council under Article 209 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan,'' a statement by the Association said.

''But he could not have been suspended or sacked even before findings given by Supreme Judicial Council,'' IBBA president Ravi Prakash Gupta said.

The Association is claimed to have among members Chief Justices and Judges of more than 50 countries.

''The said sacking of a Chief Justice even before findings given by the Supreme Judicial Council would lay down very bad precedent which is both shocking and deplorable,'' it said.

The Association ''demands that Justice Rana Bhagwan Das, second in seniority, being a Hindu, ought to have been included in the Supreme Judicial Council as per Article 180 of the Constitution.'' The statement said his non-inclusion ''raises serious doubt over the constitution of Supreme Judicial Council.'' The Association ''fully supports the call of Pakistan Bar Council to challenge the legitimacy of the Supreme Judicial Council if the judges are selectively chosen as (its) members.'' The Association advocated ''open trial'' without debarring media from proceedings.

UNI