References against Justice Isa, KK Agha: Lawyers observe countrywide strike tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The legal fraternity will observe countrywide strike on July 2 (tomorrow) to protest against the filing of references against Justice Qazi Faez Isa of Supreme Court and Justice K K Agha of Sindh High Court.

Syed Amjad Shah, Vice-Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council, on Sunday announced lawyers will observe a nationwide strike on July 2 and will hold protest meetings in their Bar rooms. He said that the lawyers’ representatives will also assemble on the same day in the Supreme Court building, Islamabad, to express solidarity with the judges.

Similarly, PBC vice-chairman also convened a meeting of Joint Action Committee for July 2 at 11:00am in office of PBC, Supreme Court building, Islamabad, to consider and chalk out further programme of protest on the issue.

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) is going to resume its second proceedings on July 2 on the presidential references, filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice KK Agha. Earlier, on June 14, a five-member bench of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh and Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth conducted its preliminary hearing on the references. Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan who was notified as prosecutor in the instant references had presented his arguments.

President Arif Alvi had filed the references against Justice Qazi Faez Isa of Supreme Court and KK Agha of Sindh High Court. It has been alleged in the references that both the judges have properties in London but they have not disclosed them in their wealth statements.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Senior judge of the Supreme Court, however, had already rejected the allegations levelled in the presidential reference saying he and his family have been maliciously maligned by half-truth and innuendos by members of the government, which is deeply distressing for him and his family.

The legal fraternity staged a sit-in on the premises of the Supreme Court on June 14 in response to the call given by the Pakistan Bar Council to observe a countrywide strike to express solidarity with Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice KK Agha.

Lawyers from bar councils across the country had staged a protest outside the SC and burned symbolically, copies of the references filed against Justice Isa and Justice Agha over non-disclosure of foreign properties in their wealth statements.