Babar slams PTI lawyers for not attending SC hearing

ISLAMABAD: Founding member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Akbar S. Babar on Friday criticised PTI lawyers for their absence during the Supreme Court hearing of the party’s review plea on the intra-party poll verdict, calling it an insult to the country’s highest judicial forum.

In a video message reacting to the development, Babar claimed it was the PTI that had filed the review petition against the apex court’s landmark decision of January 13 and had demanded an early hearing. However, he accused the party of engaging in fascist behaviour on the opening day of the hearing.

“It was unprecedented that a senior party lawyer, who is also a founding member, filed an application for adjournment on personal or family grounds. But none of the other five or six PTI lawyers showed up. Any of them could have represented the party and presented arguments,” Babar argued.

He characterised this as a boycott and a disrespect to the country’s highest judicial forum. He further claimed this conduct came from the “Lahori group of lawyers,” who consistently claimed to support the independence and respect of the judiciary.

Babar remarked that had this occurred in the UK, serious penalties could have been imposed on such lawyers, including the suspension of their membership, as such conduct was both untenable and unacceptable.

He urged bar councils to issue show cause notices to these lawyers and initiate misconduct proceedings against them. Babar also alleged that after the proceedings had concluded and the judges had left, a lawyer confronted and threatened his lawyer, Syed Ahmad Hassan, who had sought a hearing date for the following day (Saturday), which displeased the other lawyer.

“The lawyer threatened my counsel, asking him if he wasn’t running for the bar elections. This is the same mindset that wants a judge, a bench, a date, and a decision of its choice—a fascist mindset. It’s a case of my way or the highway,” Babar charged.

He further contended that this mindset was the reason the PTI sought

to spread unrest and suggested the party might violate the law and harm the country if its interests were not met