PBC calls lawyers convention on May 5, demands PM’s resignation

LAHORE: Deviating from Lahore High Court Bar Association’s plan to lead the country’s lawyers on the issue of Panama leaks, Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has given its own plan for lawyers’ representative convention in Islamabad.

The PBC executive committee, with Chaudhry Hafizur Rehman in the chair, Saturday demanded the prime minister resign and announced convening a lawyers’ convention on May 5 at Margalla Hotel.

The LHCBA on Friday had announced holding a convention in Lahore on May 13 to finalise a future line of action against the PM.

Hafizur Rehman told The News that the PBC executive committee unanimously demanded the PM disassociate himself from his office for 60 days of inquiry by the JIT into the Panama papers issue. Rehman said they would be inviting the LHCBA representatives, but would not go to their convention on May 13.

He said after deliberations with the lawyer representatives, the PBC body, being a regulatory body of the country’s lawyers, would announce a comprehensive plan against the PM. He said it is the resolve of the PBC that the PM should appear before the JIT like a common citizen and if he appears as the PM, the JIT would not hold impartial investigation against him.

He said LHCBA President Ch Zulfiqar, being an active member of the Jamaat-e-Islami, is trying to tow the agenda of his party and trying to take solo flight. The PBC would announce its plan against the PM after taking all lawyer bodies of the country into confidence so that an effective movement could be initiated against him.

PBC Vice Chairman Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon said he had asked Zulfiqar on Friday to wait for at least one day and on Saturday they would announce a unanimous plan, but he did not bother. He said there would be some personal agenda of the LHCBA to take solo flight but the PBC would take all bars into confidence and without being pawn for any political party.