ISLAMABAD - Newly elected president of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) Raja Aleem Khan Abbasi Monday announced that the lawyers body will hold a national convention against the establishment of the military courts for the trial of civilians in the country.
The IHCBA president made the announcement while addressing a press conference at IHC building and termed the establishment of military courts through the 21st Amendment as un-constitutional. Raja Aleem was of the view that the said amendment was passed in haste and was against the basic structure of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The IHCBA president remarked that Parliament could have improved the already Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for addressing the shortcomings being faced by the prosecution for the trial of hardened criminals and terrorists instead of amending Pakistan Army Act (PAA).
“We also support the notion of giving strict punishment for terrorists and criminals but not at the cost of civil liberty,” he maintained. He also expressed his intention to file a petition against the 21st constitutional amendment before the apex Supreme Court of Pakistan. Raja Aleem also expressed his resolution that they would not respond to the frequent strikes of lawyers as it badly affects cases of the litigants.
The IHCBA president also expressed his disappointment that since the establishment of IHC exclusively for the federal capital, it did not get even a single judge from Islamabad. In this connection, he said that they would take up this matter with the judicial commission and the parliamentary committee on the appointment of judges as well.