The Pakistan Bar Council held an emergent meeting at Islamabad on Wednesday under chairmanship of Senator Barrister Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem, Vice-Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council and the same was attended by Abdul Fayaz, Chairman, Executive Committee and Muhammad Shoaib Shaheen, Member, Pakistan Bar Council.
In this meeting it was resolved that the strength of the judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has to be determined only after mandatory and purposive consultations with the Supreme Court of Pakistan so also the Pakistan Bar Council, the latter being a vital stake holder in the area of administration of justice of the country. It was emphasised that the Pakistan Bar Council was the highest statutory body and regulator for lawyers and law colleges/universities.
It was further resolved that in case any legislative amendment was brought about so as to increase the strength of judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan without purposive consultations with the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Pakistan Bar Council, the Pakistan Bar Council would challenge such amendment on grounds that it was unconstitutional, considering that the Pakistan Bar Council, after the 18th Amendment, had an effective say in the appointment and confirmation of Judges in the Superior Judiciary. Finally, it was resolved that, for similar reasons as above, in future all the appointments of Ad-hoc and Additional Judges of the Supreme Court would also have to be finalised after purposive consultation with the Pakistan Bar Council.-PR