Leaders of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Friday denounced the remarks of senior lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jahangir against Supreme Court's verdict in the Panama Papers case. Addressing a joint press conference, they were of the view that the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment against corruption, disqualifying the sitting prime minister.
SCBA Secretary Aftab Bajwa, LHCBA President Ch Zulfiqar Ali and Finance Secretary Zaheer Butt spoke at the briefing. Bajwa claimed that whole legal fraternity stood by the judiciary, however, some 'black sheep' started a vilification campaign against the state institutions at the behest of PML-N. Disapproving the statements of Asma Jahangir regarding the Panama case verdict, he said she did not represent the Bar.
The secretary further said the Bar would take a stern action against lawyers if they did not abandon the vilification campaign against judiciary and armed forces. Ch Zulfiqar said the present judiciary in the country was fully independent and its decisions were made under the law and constitution. He urged to remain careful in future while giving statements against the state institutions. He said the appointment of Justice Ijazul Ahsan to supervise the NAB references against the Sharif family was fully within the law.
Later in the evening, Asma said after the Panama Papers' verdict the judiciary entered a blind alley, however, lawyers would take it out. She said the lawyers were not scared of the judiciary nor civilian rulers or military dictators. She was speaking at a ceremony hosted to formerly announce candidature of Pir Kaleem Khurshid for presidential slot of the Supreme Court Bar Association.