Rs175m funds to bars: Lawyer leaders vow to continue protest

ISLAMABAD: The legal fraternity has termed the distribution of Rs175 million by the ruling Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) among the bar association across the country as a dignified bribe to muster up support for the Presidential References filed against two judges of the superior courts.

Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Syed Amjad Shah, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Aman Ullah Kanrani, and Rashid A Rizvi, former President of the SCBA, vowed to continue to protest and protect the judiciary and constitution, demanding of the government to withdraw the presidential reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa which they termed as an outcome of mala fide intention of the government.

As the Supreme Judicial Council has started its proceedings on the Presidential References filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a senior Judge of the Supreme Court, and Justice Karim Khan (KK) Agha, a judge of Sindh High Court, and will be holding its 2nd proceeding on July 2, Federal Minister for Law Dr Farogh Nasim the other day distributed Rs175 million among 137 bar associations across the country.

The legal fraternity vowed to remain adamant terming the presidential references filed against the two judges of the superior courts as mala

fide intention and reaffirmed commitment to continue its peaceful protests across the country.

“The distribution of money by the federal law minister among the bar associations is a dignified bribe to muster support for the presidential reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa,” said Rashid A Rizvi.

He questioned as to what prompted the government to distribute the money among the bar associations at a time when the momentum of layer’s movement is at peak in connection of the Presidential Reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

“What does it mean? Definitely the government has opted to muster support of the lawyers for the presidential references, filed against two judge of the superior courts”, he told The News.

He said that for the past six years, the legal fraternity was demanding the funds but nobody paid any heed but now when the lawyers are united at one common platform protesting over the government’s move filing the references with the Supreme Judicial Council, the government came into action only just to muster its support.

In the past, he said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government through its law minister Dr Babar Awan had disbursed Rs776.4 million among 132 district bar associations for mustering support in response of the Supreme Court pressure, seeking implementation of its orders regarding the National Reconciliation Ordinance and the reopening of the Swiss case against the then president Asif Ali Zardari.

“But I don’t think that the lawyers will get back from their earlier stance and would continue to protest to protect the judiciary and rule of law, stressing the government to withdraw the instant references”, Rashid A Rizvi said adding that he too of the view that the presidential references were filed on mala fide intention and its should be withdrawn at the earliest.