ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and provincial Bar Councils, Associations Monday demanded recalling of interim order to suspend the proposed Supreme Court (Practice and Procedures) Act, 2023, and expressed serious concern over the Supreme Court role in the prevailing serious political crisis.
In this regard, the representatives of Pakistan and all the Provincial Bar Councils, Supreme Court and High Court Bar Associations held a conference at the PBC office in the Supreme Court building. The Representative Conference announced to protest today against the suspension of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 by the Supreme Court, and to observe it as a ‘Black Day’. They also took serious note of holding the so-called ‘Roundtable Conference’ by some of the politically motivated and disgruntled elements of the Bar with political motives. It also took notice of the press conference by senior retired officers of the armed forces saying such efforts will further accelerate the political crisis and derail the entire constitutional process.
The Representative Conference appreciated the present government for withdrawing the curative review against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. “It has shown concern as no final order is being passed by the Chief Justice despite appearance of the Attorney General for Pakistan before the CJP in chambers to withdraw the review.”
The conference called upon the present government and the ruling political parties to hold ‘All Parties Conference’ within the Parliament or outside the Parliament and resolve the political and constitutional issue and hold free, fair and transparent election of the National and Provincial Assemblies at one time on the date to be agreed by all the political parties as per mandate of the Constitution. They said that if the interim order suspending the proposed ‘Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, is not recalled the duly elected representatives of the Bar Councils and Bar Associations will be compelled to call upon the legal fraternity to launch a countrywide movement to protect the democratic and constitutional rights of the people and to start with lawyers conferences shall be held in capitals of the provinces.
The Representative Conference is of the considered view that the proposed ‘Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure Act, 2023 is passed by the Parliament on the unanimous and consistent demand of the legal fraternity which proposed act will serve the interest of the public, at large and shall advance the principal of independence of judiciary. They added that six judges in the bench are those whose appointments were always questioned by the legal fraternity and so also by the members of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan as the appointment were made by violating the principal of seniority and without laying down any criteria by amending the rules of Judicial Commission of Pakistan, as being demanded for the last several years.
