Won’t back move against supremacy of Constitution, independence of judiciary: PBC

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Monday expressed the resolve that the legal fraternity in Pakistan would never support any move against supremacy of the Constitution and independence of the judiciary.

The council rejected the resolution passed by the Executive Committee of Punjab Bar Council on April 20, 2019 against Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, former judge of Islamabad High Court and Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, Judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan.

In an emergency meeting held here in Supreme Court, Muhammad Ahsen Bhoon, member of the committee, tabled the motion, proposing disapproval of the resolution passed by Executive Committee of the Punjab Bar Council.

The committee after deliberations and due consideration, agreed with the motion and disapproved the resolution passed by Executive Committee of the Punjab Bar Council on April 20, 2019 terming it as uncalled for and unnecessary rather violation of the independence of the Judiciary.

The Committee observed that the case/issue of Justice Shaukat Aziz, which had been decided by the Supreme Judicial Council, is the past and closed transaction whereas the comments passed qua decision handed down by Justice Qazi Faez Isa that being the decision of the Supreme Court, is absolutely uncalled for. The Committee also expressed that Justice Qazi Faez Isa is an upright and competent Judge of the apex Court who always discharged judicial functions without any fear and favour.

The meeting was presided over by Hafiz Muhammad Idris Shaikh and attended by members including Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon, Azam Nazeer Tarar and Muhammad Yousaf Laghari while Syed Qalb-i-Hassan and Syed Amjad Shah, vice chairman PBC were specially invited to the meeting. Meanwhile Abid Saqi and Rashid A Rizvi supported the decision of the executive committee of Pakistan Bar council (PBC).

Our correspondent adds from Lahore: Meanwhile, Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) Vice Chairman Ch Shahnawaz Ismail clarified that a resolution passed by the six-member executive committee had nothing to do with the council.“The executive committee is a subordinate body of the PbBC and it does not represent the view of the whole bar council,” Ismail said in a statement.

He said the resolution could be the executive committee’s opinion only as the general house of the council had not taken up any such resolution.