The Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that there was no judicial crisis in the country but it was the international conspiracy against the country which has been foiled by the people of Pakistan by ignoring their participation in the processions against the government.
This he said while addressing the Advocates' Convention organised at the Circuit House Hyderabad today. Addressing the participants, the Sindh Chief Minister said that Present's reference against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was a constitutional obligation of the President.
He said that it was the right of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to decide the reference for which provision has been given in the constitution. He said that no individual or group of people outside the judiciary would be allowed to interfere in the decision of the SJC.
He said that those who were politicising this matter by sitting out side the country have never honoured the courts during their rule. He said that before President General Pervez Musharaf took over attack on the Supreme Court was made and Chief Justice of Supreme Court Justice Sajjad Ali Shah was victimised besides words like kangaroo courts and Chamak were used against the judiciary. He said that he was the first person who condemned these acts and consequently he was victimised by stopping irrigation water.
The chief minister said, "some thing was behind the scene and that was "international conspiracy against Pakistan". He said that it was also obvious from this fact that yesterday a handful of advocates were crying for the appointment of Justice Bhagwandas as Acting Chief Justice according to his seniority. Now when Justice Bhgwandas was appointed as Acting Chief Justice and head of SJC on his return from leave, the agitating lawyers should wait for the decision of SJC which has been composed according to the constitution.
The Sindh Chief Minister said that if the government did any wrong, the people would have come against the government but they ignored. Condemning the cancellation of memberships of advocates by the Bar Councils, the Sindh Chief Minister said that this act was illegal as the Advocate General was the chairman of Bar Councils without his approval they cannot cancel the membership of any member. He thanked the advocates of Sindh who remained peaceful during the recent situation and foiled the attack manage by a political party on the Sindh Assembly.
Praising the vision of President General Pervez Musharaf, the Sindh Chief Minister said that it was because of his dynamic leadership that Pakistan has faced many internal and external challenges successfully. Referring to the problems presented by the advocates, the Sindh Chief Minister announced the up-gradation of the post of Prosecution Inspectors from BPS 16 to 17 and said that the government was actively considering for providing plots for the establishments of Advocates' Cooperative Housing Society.
Advisor to the Sindh Chief Minister Nuzhat Pathan said that truth has big power and added the President's reference would be decided by the SJC. She said that the advocates were the cream of the society and should have to launched Jihad against corruption, outdated systems in the society instead of indulging in negative activities launched by the politicians for their own interest.
The Zila Nazim Hyderabad Kanwar Naveed Jamil in his address said that President's reference was constitutional obligation to strengthen the institution of judiciary and said that institutions were more important than individual. Chairman Muslim League Lawyers Forum Advocate Mehfooz Khan and Advocate Shoaib Shibly also spoke on the occasion and supported the President's reference.