Bar associations throughout the country have been urged to observe a two-day nationwide strike on March 20 & 21 for reversal of National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) decision regarding Sections 22A and 22B of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). A joint meeting of vice-chairmen and other representatives of Pakistan and provincial/ Islamabad bar councils was held at the Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Building, Islamabad, in the chairmanship of Vice-Chairman PBC Syed Amjad Shah.
The joint meeting held lengthy deliberations and endorsed the resolutions/press statements of the Pakistan Bar Council, provincial/Islamabad bar councils and numerous bar bodies. They urged the NJPMC to restore previous practice as to entertainment of applications under Sections 22A and 22B of CrPC.
The bar associations were asked to hold lawyers' conventions at provincial capitals and federal capital on the dates to be announced later, in case the demand of the legal fraternity for reversal of decision of the NJPMC regarding Sections 22A and 22B of CrPC is not accepted.
The meeting sought from the Supreme Court prescription, at the earliest possible, of the parameters for exercising its powers under Article 184(3) of the Constitution by way of amendments in the Supreme Court Rules, 1980, as earlier proposed by the Pakistan Bar Council.
They urged the apex court to make effective enforcement of Article 209 of the Constitution for meaningful accountability of the judges of superior judiciary and expeditious disposal of references against judges of the superior courts filed with the Supreme Judicial Council, at the earliest, and further that the concerned judge should be restrained from working as judge till the complaint/reference against him is decided.
They underscored the need for filling judges' vacant posts lying in the superior courts as well as lower courts, which definitely would help disposal of backlog of cases in different courts. The participants of the meeting condemned the act of a judge of the NAB Court.
They said that obstructing office-bearers and elected representatives of the Bar from discharging their responsibilities is highly deplorable and, therefore, requested the Chief Justice SHC for recalling his directions of filing FIR against president of the Karachi Bar Association.