ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) elected Riazat Ali Sahar as its Vice-Chairman and Farooq Hamid Naek as chairman Executive Committee for the year 2024-2025.
The PBC 241st meeting was held on Monday in the Council’s Office, Supreme Court Building, Islamabad, with Mansoor Usman Awan, attorney-general for Pakistan and chairman, PBC in the chair.
The council also appreciated Haroonur Rashid and Hassan Raza Pasha, the outgoing vice-chairman and chairman, Executive Committee for leading the Council with dignity and honour during the last one year.
The council reiterated that the rules of Judicial Commission of Pakistan be re-framed at the earliest for laying down the criteria for the elevation of judges to the superior courts.
The council also reiterated the role of the Bench and the Bar to strengthen the rule of law and to highlight problems of litigants, and demanded from the Supreme Court that ordinary cases should also be fixed on a priority basis like cases of political matters because they are also too important.
The council also demands that all political parties and their workers avoid character assassination of honourable judges of the superior judiciary; they should comment only on judgment not on judges to save the honour and prestige of the Supreme Court.
The council and the entire legal fraternity believe in the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary as well as democracy and civil authority through a democratic process, and this goal could be achieved by holding free, fair, and transparent elections.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Supreme Court issued guidelines for the journalists, who cover SC proceedings on a daily basis. It said; “Entry will be allowed after security checking, frisking and searching of bags/purses by the police personnel, therefore media persons must cooperate with security staff.”
“No media person will be allowed to record video-clips, interviews, YouTube programmes, etc inside the Supreme Court building.”
“No cell phones will be allowed inside the courtrooms.”
“In case of any important case hearing, where limited space and heightened security warranted exclusive entry for a select number of journalists only, one person from each media house will be allowed entry. Other journalists will be accommodated in alternative courtrooms to observe the proceedings.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024