Lawyers’ group opposes Pakistan Bar Council’s decision of strike on June 14

An action committee of lawyers, a group formed against decisions of the Pakistan Bar Council and bar associations with regard to presidential references against Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faiz Esa, on Monday opposed a PBC decision of calling a strike on June 14, and demanded that the Supreme Judicial Council be allowed to conduct its proceedings without any interference.

The lawyers, including a member of the managing committee of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Mohammad Ehtesham, senior advocates Khawaja Naveed Ahmed, Shakeel Ahmed and Moulvi Iqbal Haider, also held a press conference at the Karachi Press Club.

They condemned the decisions of the Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association which demanded withdrawal of the presidential references against Justice Qazi Faez Esa and Justice Karim Khan Agha and gave a call for a strike on June 14 throughout the country.

They were of view that the Supreme Judicial Council should ensure its proceedings continued without any interference and influence and decide the references on merit. They said that strike call given by the PBC, SCBA and other bar associations were uncalled for and lawyers would not support the strike call and appear before the courts.

They said that all citizens, including judges, were equal under the law and they should face the proceedings. They demanded that details of all judges’ properties and assets should be investigated and made public.

They lawyers further demanded from the chief justice of the Sindh High Court to provide protection to lawyers who wanted to appear before the courts. They urged the lawyers’ bodies to abide by the law and desist from any unlawful action against peaceful lawyers who wanted to attend the court proceedings.

The lawyers’ action committee also protested against Supreme Court Bar Association President Amanullah Kanrani at the SHC premises over the SCBA decisions. The SCBA president however said that the strike call was a unanimous decision of the Pakistan Bar Council and the SBCA and other lawyers’ representatives and it would be implemented at any cost.