IHC's contempt notice against IHCBA's secy-gen withdrawn

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday withdrew contempt of court notices issued to Umair Baloch Advocate, secretary general Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA), for disrupting judicial proceedings.

A single bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the matter and withdrew the contempt notices after Baloch and office-bearers of various bars appeared before the court and regretted the incident.

During the hearing, Syed Amjad Shah, Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), Haroon-ur-Rasheed, Vice Chairman Islamabad Bar Council, Raja Inam Amin Minhas, President Islamabad High Court Bar Association, and Ch Khanzada, President District Bar Association Islamabad, along with Baloch appeared before the bench.

The IHC noted in its verdict, "They regretted the incident and assured that the bar councils at all times will uphold the dignity and decorum of the court."

It added that a strong bar is inevitable for an independent judiciary and to protect and defend the Constitution. The credibility and reputation of the legal profession depend on the bar councils' role and performance of its duty to ensure lawyers' adherence to the required standards.

The bar councils have a noble status and have a pivotal role in building a just, disciplined and democratic society. Its role is essentially associated with building and maintaining public trust in the justice system, particularly the courts.

"This duty to build and maintain public trust is eroded when the bar councils fail in regulating its own internal discipline. The elected members of the bar councils have an important role to play in the society.

They are expected to make themselves role models for the other enrolled members, particularly the young lawyers. The bar councils have onerous task to ensure that the canons of ethics and proprietary associated with legal profession are strictly followed. It is the duty of the bar councils to ensure that every enrolled member upholds the dignity and high standing of the legal profession," added the court verdict.

It further said that the public trust is the sole criterion to determine whether the bar councils are fulfilling their statutory duties and the bar councils and its enrolled members had led the historic lawyers' movement when the Constitution was subverted in 2007. Their zeal to protect and defend the Constitution and uphold the rule of law was acknowledged internationally.

Justice Athar said that rule of law is the key to progress, stability and prosperity of a society. Absence of the rule of law leads to extremism, tyranny and anarchy. The effective role of the bar councils in upholding rule of law is inevitable for establishing a just society.

The verdict mentioned that Muhammad Umair Baloch advocate is an elected representative of the members of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association and this court has no reason to doubt that he would fail in his duty to uphold the sanctity and dignity of the court and the administration of justice.