Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) would not allow the government to postpone the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) election to be held on November 30.
While addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, LHCBA President Ahmed Awais said that all the institutions of the lawyer fraternity hold elections in time, but the government wants to sabotage the bar tradition, which would not be allowed.
He said that Advocate General Punjab with mala fide intention has suggested the government to amend the PBC Act for the next elections. "All such attempts were being made to shatter the confidence of the Bar members and forcing them to let go of their democratic norms.
Moreover, the government was setting a wrong example in the Bar to satisfy their ulterior motives," they alleged.
According to them, the government was already considering and working on the suggestion 'to give authority to the High Courts to issue licenses to lawyers'.
The PBC was a competent authority to issue licenses to the Bar members, hence the government should not take such steps. However, the bar members would not permit the government to postpone the elections and to authorise the High Courts to issue license to lawyers.
Furthermore, the law officers and the judiciary should not support the ulterior motives of the government.
He averred that lawyers always fought for their rights and for the independence of the judiciary, hence the judiciary should not interfere in the matters of the Bar or become a tool of the government.
The bar members announced that they would resign from their memberships if the government went ahead with postponement of the Bar elections.