Elahi audio leaks: PBC convenes meeting to mull reference against judge

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has convened next week a meeting of all heads of provincial bar councils, including the Islamabad Bar Council, to deliberate on filing a reference against a judge of the Supreme Court in the Supreme Judicial Council (JSC) on an alleged audio-tape.

Hassan Raza Pasha, Chairman Executive Committee of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), said in order to deliberate on the glaring issue, the Council had convened next week, possibly on February 23, a meeting in Islamabad.

Vice chairpersons of all provincial bar councils as well as the chairman of Islamabad Bar Council would be invited to the meeting wherein deliberations would be held on filing of a reference in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against the SC judge, he confirmed to The News when contacted.

He said that once the meeting deliberates and approves the filing of the reference, it would be filed in the SJC, and the meeting decision might also be shared with the media.

He said he had held a press conference in Lahore some days ago and demanded forensic test of the alleged audio-tape. Separately, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Abid S Zubairi had termed the audio leaks, purportedly involving former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi and an apex court judge, as doctored. “I have gone through the audio recording and I categorically state that this audio is doctored,” Zubairi had said.