IBC has no representation in Judicial Commission

Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) has still no representation in Judicial Commission, despite being a sanctuary body rated under Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Act, 1973. Sohaib Shaheen, IBC Vice Chairman, while addressing at a first enrolment certificate awarding ceremony to newly enrolled lawyers organised by IBC in Islamabad High Court (IHC), said it was a matter of great concern that IBC had no representation in judicial commission.
However, just like other respective bar councils, the representation might also be given to IBC in the process of appointment of judges for IHC, he added. He said presently IHC had five posts of judges, and still two posts were vacant which should be filled on priority basis to avoid unnecessary delays and huge pending cases could be decided on time.
Sohaib Shaheen said IBC was already functional and regulating the roles of advocates. He said the aim and objective of the organisation was to assemble excellence while experiencing the quality result, be it legal trainings or developing qualification for the legal fertility. He said members of IBC representing different committees brought positive-ness as a whole. He said IBC was also significant in judicial system as it was also bringing comprehensive code of conduct.
Raja Aleem Khan Abbasi, President IHC Bar Association, during the occasion suggested evolving any such policy for the rotational deputation of judiciary so that learning could not be limited and experiences could be shared, such a mechanism could empower judiciary especially when juniors could be appointed with senior judges for the assistance.
He also pointed out that despite being a court for the federal capital; IHC did not have representation from Islamabad. He said over 13,000 cases were pending for adjudication before the five benches of the IHC. As per the IHC Act 2010, the total strength of IHC judges is seven. According to Abbasi in addition to the immediate appointment of two judges from the Islamabad-based lawyers, the legislature should increase number of judges from seven to 11.
He appreciated the Judicial Commission of Pakistan for re-appointing those judges who had been removed through the July 31, 2009 judgment of the Supreme Court as they had taken oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) and said the process should continue.
Azam Nazir Tarrar, Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) said the for sooth dispensation of justice, the lawyers bodies were required to discourage the strike culture. He said PBC was going to convene a meeting in the coming month with the entire bar councils of the country to sort out the issue of consecutive strike calls even on peripheral issues.
According to him, the consecutive strikes in the courts are counterproductive as these are contrary to the primary objective of the judicial system which is administration of justice. IHC Chief Justice Kasi said despite short of judges IHC had decided 29,784 cases since last four years. He said vacant positions of the judges might be filled with the consultations of the stakeholders. "The consultation to fill the vacant positions is in progress and the IHC would send proposal to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan soon," he said.
CJ Kasi further said the legislation for posting and transfer of Islamabad-based judges of subordinate judiciary was also under progress and after some amendments in the law, the judges of sessions court might be send to the judicial services of other provinces on deputation and the services of judges from provinces may also be borrowed.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Anwar Zaheer Jamali assured the lawyers that the Islamabad-based lawyers would be considered for the two vacant positions of the judges for the IHC. Judges and lawyers from all over Pakistan including Chief Justice of Supreme Court Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, CJ of IHC Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi, Judges of District Judiciary, and Vice Chairman and other members of IBC and Bar Associations attended the ceremony. The IBC was established last year after the "Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Act 1973" was amended adding the IBC to the list of the four provincial and the Pakistan bar councils.