ISLAMABAD: An ‘All Pakistan Lawyers Convention’, Monday, passed a resolution rejecting judicial package and newly-proposed amendment while it also turned down the idea of establishing a Constitutional Court.
The three major bar associations of Islamabad including Islamabad Bar Council (IBC), Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) and District Bar Association (DBA) organised the lawyers’ convention at the Judicial Complex with the theme of ‘Save the Constitution, Save the Judiciary and Save Pakistan’.
Addressing the moot, Riasat Ali Azad advocate President Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) said this convention has sent a message to the government that despite the fact that Islamabad is under siege, lawyers from all over the country are present here.
He said that the bar is the walls of the judiciary and do not weaken them. He also said that the government is going to remove Articles 183, 184, 190 and 199 through this constitutional amendment.
The IHCBA president made it clear that they stand with the judges of the High Court who wrote the letter and they are proud of them. He added that their leadership is proud that their era is one that has seen brave judges of the High Court. He further said that the degrees of judges who said “No” cannot be declared as fake.
Raja Aleem Abbasi said that a bar should be free, as a free bar guarantees an independent judiciary. He said that three Bars of Islamabad took projects worth Rs12 billion from Hamid Khan, but it does not mean that they have sold their offices to you.
He said that they have no differences with the government and they only differed with it on issue related to the constitutional package. “We have no purpose, no agenda, no vested interests,” he added, saying but the powers of the Supreme Court are being removed through the constitutional package.
Abbasi said that this constitutional package was made by the undemocratic forces and they wanted to control the Supreme Court. He said that if the load of pending cases is high, they should establish a new bench in the Supreme Court instead of creating a new court.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hamid Khan said through their past movements, they had got the independence of judiciary and this is the third movement to save the country including the judiciary and the constitution.
He remarked that people say that lawyers are divided but we are united for the supremacy of the Constitution. “In every movement we have only one party, that party is Black Coat,” said Hamid Khan. He continued, “We fight for an institution, not for an individual.” He added that political engineering has been going on in this country for 77 years and there is no role of any general in the construction of the country.
Hamid said that the 18th amendment is a good amendment but what kind of this amendment which came from somewhere in the darkness of night that even the president does not even know about it? He said that they worked earlier to subjugate the judiciary but this time the Supreme Court and the High Court are being openly attacked.
He made it clear that the Supreme Court has all the powers and there will be no constitutional court and they would not allow the court to be subservient to the generals.
Adil Aziz Oazi, vice chairman IBC said that the Islamabad bar is not in anyone’s pocket. He said that after the 2007 movement, if they had to go out on the Constitution Avenue for this cause, they would close the avenue and hold a rally there. He said that the lawyers have to decide whether they want the 1973 constitution or this constitutional amendment.
Taufique Asif, Member Punjab Bar Council said that FIRs against lawyers should be withdrawn and today, they are gathered here in the city of rulers to protect the constitution leaving behind the factional politics and political affiliations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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