RESISTING MILITARY RULE:
LEADERS OF PAKISTANI LAWYERS MOVEMENT SPEAK OUT!!!
Monday, March 3, 12:00 pm – 1:20pm
American University Washington College of Law, Room 603
4801 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016 
In November 2007, President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule in Pakistan. In the days following, reports emerged from Pakistan of police violence, arbitrary arrests, and mistreatment of lawyers detained for peacefully protesting government policies. On Monday, March 3, 2008, the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law hosted an event with leaders in the Pakistani lawyers’ movement who were detained in November. The lawyers discussed military rule, judicial independence, and their involvement in promoting and protecting rule of law in Pakistan.
Speakers included:
Hamid Khan, former President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association; Hamid Khan is a legal scholar, Supreme Court lawyer, former President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association and the Senior Vice President of the political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. In addition, Mr. Khan, was a member of the defense team that successfully advocated for Chief Justice Iftikar M. Chaudhry reinstatement in July 2007. He also argued the case against President Musharaff—contesting his eligibility to stand for presidential elections—that precipitated the November 3 declaration of emergency rule. Mr. Khan has authored several authoritative texts of Pakistani Constitutional law.
Sahibzada Anwar Hamid, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Sahibzada Anwar Hamid is a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court. He previously served as Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and was serving as the Vice President of the Supreme Court Bar Association when Musharraf placed Chief Justice Chaudhry on inactive status on March 9, 2007. After Musharraf declared emergency rule, Mr. Hamid was arrested at his home and illegally held in detention for fifteen days.
Co-sponsored by the WCL Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the WCL National Lawyers Guild. For additional information, please contact the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law by emailing humlaw@wcl.american.edu or by calling 202-274-4180.
