The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) moves to contest special court’s verdict in Pervez Musharraf treason case and the award of a three-year extension to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa didn’t go down well with the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) that has decided to go on a strike on Thursday.

The PBC termed these decisions “unconstitutional moves” of the federal government.

According to a press release issued by the body on Wednesday, lawyers will observe a full-day strike on Thursday when they will hold protest and condemnation meetings in their respective bar rooms against the government measures to grant an extension in service to the incumbent army chief and “rescue” Musharraf from punishment in the high treason case.

PBC Vice Chairman Syed Amjad Shah and the chairman of its executive committee, Sher Muhammad Khan, strongly condemned the “belated efforts and maneuverings of the federal government” after yesterday’s order of the Supreme Court in the case pertaining to Gen Bajwa’s extension, according to the statement.

They said the government had rectified its mistakes and brought about amendments in some relevant laws in an attempt to “overcome their inefficiency” in the matter of granting extension to the army chief.

The PBC officials also condemned what they called the government’s “unjustified and unprecedented move” to approach the IHC to restrain the special court from announcing its verdict in the case against Musharraf.