Lawyers reject constitutional court, call for notifying Justice Mansoor as CJP

LAHORE: The All Pakistan lawyers convention, held at the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday, rejected the idea of a constitutional court and demanded immediate issuance of a notification appointing Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah as the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).

A declaration issued at the end of the convention demanded that the chief justice of Pakistan should be appointed on the basis of seniority. It said the National Assembly did not have the powers to propose such amendments. The declaration said the constitutional package was against the Constitution, which was harmful to the country. “We reject those lawyers who have compromised and also reject their committee.”

Earlier, while addressing the convention at Lahore High Court (LHC), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator and senior lawyer Hamid Khan announced the launch of a lawyer movement and said, “We do not believe in any constitutional court, which will be opposed tooth and nail.” He said: “Are these judges tehsildars whom you want to transfer. We do not accept any such constitutional package, as the amendment should be discussed openly rather than keeping the draft secret.”

He declared the commencement of lawyer movement immediately, and also announced that the next convention would be held in Karachi. Hamid said there was no need for a constitutional court in Pakistan as there was no such precedent anywhere, including India and Australia. “It shows mala fide as its purpose appears to destroy the Constitution,” he said and added, “We will not allow anyone to play with the Constitution.”

Former president Supreme Court Bar Association Ali Ahmed Kurd said, “We, lawyers, are one force and when the flood of lawyers will come out, no force will be able to stop it. Even the law minister is also saying that I have just received the amendment draft.”

Kurd said the world had changed; the example of Bangladesh is in front of everyone. “When people die of hunger and poverty, no one cares. We have proved that we are a force in the country. We believe in constitutional and legal power. When we were challenged, we came out and stared into the eyes of a dictator like Ziaul Haq.”

PTI leader and former president Islamabad High Court Bar Association Shoaib Shaheen Advocate said what was happening today with the Constitution had not happened in 76 years of history. He said some black sheep within the lawyers community were also involved in the amendment process. The establishment had brought some dacoits into parliament. He said that there was only one institution left, the judiciary, and it was also going to be made a slave. “We used to get justice from the Supreme Court; now they are going to make it like a sessions court.” Shoaib said, “We launched a movement in favour of Justice Qazi Faez Isa; today we feel ashamed that we started movement for him.”