Don’t create hurdles in political parties’ activities, PBC asks govt

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Monday urged the government and other authorities concerned to desist from creating hurdles in the democratic, lawful activities of political parties to mobilise people against bad governance.

The council expressed its serious concerns, what it called, about the ongoing volatile political situation in the country, mainly caused due to the government moves to create hindrances in political activities just to cover up its bad governance and incompetence to handle public issues. It said such moves were adding to miseries of people in the shape of rapid increase in prices of essential commodities and utility charges.

The 230th PBC meeting was held here at its office with its vice-chairman Abid Saqi in the chair. “All state institutions are duty bound to remain within their defined constitutional limits, which were not only essential for smooth running of the government functionaries but also for welfare of people and stability of the country,” the PBC held.

The PBC reiterated its absolute and unambiguous long-standing stance in respect of mala fide reference, filed by the government against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, which later on was also rightly rejected by the Supreme Court, and resolved to continue its struggle for the independence of the judiciary and to oppose tooth and nail any onslaught of the executive or other authorities which matter, against the judiciary and its independent functioning.

The council also expressed its grave concern on discriminatory and biased report of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) against the wife and children of Justice Qazi Faez Isa filed in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

The council warned the executive authorities to refrain from resorting to such ulterior moves against judges of the superior courts and their family members; otherwise, lawyers would not hesitate to launch a countrywide campaign and protest against the government to express solidarity with the judiciary.

It reiterated its earlier stance about reformation of the process of appointment of really upright, competent, honest and professionally experienced persons as judges of the superior courts.

In this respect, the PBC appreciated the chief justice of Pakistan and other members of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, especially belonging to the judiciary, for initiating the process of meaningful consultations with members of the bar councils and bar associations for future appointments to the superior courts.

The council hoped that in the upcoming days, the process would be made a regular feature to take place ahead of making future appointments of judges while giving effect to proposals of the Pakistan Bar Council regarding amendments to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan Rules, 2010, which earlier were proposed by the Pakistan Bar Council in 2013.