2016 Quetta tragedy: PBC urges government to implement inquiry commission's report

Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Thursday demanded the government to implement, in letter and spirit, Inquiry Commission report on Quetta tragic incidents, wherein 54 lawyers were martyred and many other got seriously injured. All Pakistan Lawyers Representatives Convention was held here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Syed Amjad Shah to discuss unfortunate and sad incidents of 8th August 2016 in Quetta. They said the enforcement agencies and concerned authorities till date failed to arrest culprits behind the incidents, and rather involved the author of the report, Justice Faez, in a baseless/false reference.
The PBC demanded immediate withdrawal of mala fide references against Justice Faez and Justice Agha, and requested the chairman Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to exclude those members from the Council against whom references/complaints are still pending. It urged the chairman SJC to hear and decide those references which were filed with the Council earlier than the references against Justice Faez and Justice Agha.
The PBC demanded the chief justice of Pakistan to implement the decision of the Supreme Court regarding Faizabad Dharna (sit-in). The judiciary, SJC and Judicial Commission of Pakistan were urged to prevent interference of other institutions in their functioning and process of dispensation of justice and other functions assigned to them under the Constitution, while rendering decisions/judgments.
It was further demanded that the chief justice of Pakistan should take action against the chief justice Peshawar High Court under Article 209 of the Constitution for issuing roaster of cases from 22nd July 2019 to 31st August 2019 wherein five persons were enlisted as judges of Peshawar High Court unconstitutionally and illegally.
The PBC demanded amendment in Article 175-A of the Constitution so as to empower the representatives of lawyers and Parliamentary Committee for appointment of Judges of Superior Courts and further amendment in article 184(3) as well as in the Supreme Court Rules, 1980, for prescribing the criteria of exercising powers by the Supreme Court under the said article and also providing right of appeal to aggrieve person before a larger bench of the Supreme Court.
It also demanded amendment in Article 209 of the Constitution so as to provide holding of open proceedings of the Supreme Judicial Council while hearing the references/complaints against judges of superior courts, and also to provide right of appeal to aggrieved judge against decision of the SJC before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It should be the right of every citizen to obtain the copies of references/complaints filed against a judge of superior court and action/decision taken by the Council.
The PBC wanted strict implementation of decisions of the Supreme Court against reappointment of judges, generals and bureaucrats after their retirement. It demanded the government to ensure giving the right of expression to citizens through the print and electronic media as guaranteed by the Constitution, without any discrimination.
Vice-Chief PBC Amjad Shah said the incumbent federal minister for law and justice is playing a negative role in violation of the Constitution, and is also pursuing anti-lawyer's activities to disintegrate the unity of lawyer's community by offering them legal adviser-ships in different government institutions, attorney general's office and advocates general offices, which is condemnable.
They also strongly condemned the action of Indian extremist Hindu government to scrap Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution through Presidential Order to alter the special status of the Jammu and Kashmir in blatant violation of the UN Security Council Resolutions. It was, therefore, demanded the government to take up the issue with the United Nations, the OIC and the International Human Rights Organisation to raise their voice against unconstitutional and inhuman action of the Indian government.