Lawyers’ convention passes resolution against judicial package, constitutional court

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at the lawyer convention, organised by the Islamabad Bar Council here on Monday, rejected the proposed constitutional package and a constitutional court and passed a unanimous resolution against the act of ‘undemocratic forces’.

Member Islamabad Bar Council Zulfiqar Abbasi Advocate said in his speech that he condemned registration of cases against lawyers. He said the lawyer convention did not side with any political party, and it was not organised on behest of any party. He regretted that amendments were being made to Article 63(A) of the Constitution. He said lawyers were not against legislation, but they want it ensured that the legislation or amendments should not be based on malice.

Secretary Murree Bar Association Muhammad Fayyaz Abbasi Advocate said the Federal Constitutional Court, which was being created by amending Article 175, was a judicial interference being done by the Parliament. After the amendments, if a judge would not make decisions according to the government wishes, he would be picked up and expelled from the province.

Additional Secretary Supreme Court Bar Association Shehbaz Khosa Advocate said the rights of 250 million people of Pakistan were being trampled, but lawyers would fight for protecting people’s fundamental rights. He said Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had taken up the mission to create a constitutional court. He alleged that Bilawal had placed the entire Sindh executive under his control, and now he wanted to place all judges under the control of the government.

Senior lawyer Babar Awan said a parallel judiciary could never be established in Pakistan, and lawyers would not accept it. Politician and lawyer Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said “today we have the unity on the basis of which we will not allow passage of the constitutional amendment.”

District Bar Association Shakeel Abbasi said a constitutional bench should be established in the Supreme Court, instead of establishing a constitutional court. There should be a rotation of judges on that bench, and the age of judges should not be 68 years, he suggested.

Member Punjab Bar Council Hafiz Muhammad Aqeel said “today we have left behind the politics of groups and political affiliations in the city of rulers, and gathered here to protect the Constitution.”

He said that earlier, a resolution was passed by the Islamabad High Court Bar, Islamabad District Bar, and Islamabad Bar Council. According to the resolution, they also completely rejected the establishment of a constitutional court, he said and added that it was the worst amendment being made to the Constitution in the history of Pakistan.

“We salute Maulana [Fazlur Rehman] for stopping the planned amendments in the dark of night,” he added. Senior lawyer Hamid Khan, while addressing the convention, said: “I am thankful to the presidents and representatives of all bar councils present here including the organisers of this convention. I congratulate Islamabad High Court Bar and District Bar for organising the nationwide convention. This is the most important convention among the three major conventions held till date. “With our past movements, we freed the judiciary; this is the third movement to save the country including the judiciary and the Constitution,” he added.