Law minister promises: I’ll talk to PM for withdrawing review plea against Justice Isa

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar Thursday promised that he would talk to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the withdrawal of a review petition filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a senior judge of the Supreme Court.

Talking to the media after inaugurating the Directorate of Legal Education, established at the Pakistan Bar Council offices here, he said he would also raise the issue in the upcoming cabinet meeting.

The minister said that former military dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf should return to the country and face the law, adding that he should be proceeded against in accordance with the law. He promised that the government would facilitate the return of former president Pervez Musharraf to the country. However, he added, Musharraf was convicted and hence he should come and face the law.

He demanded the Supreme Court fix an appeal of former president, filed against his conviction. He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had given instructions for extending cooperation to bar associations as well as bar councils. The minister said that the bar association had always played a significant role for promotion of democracy in the country, adding that during the dictatorship, bar associations had faced many difficulties.

The minister said that the role of legal fraternity was very important in establishment of the rule of law as well as good governance. The federal law minister said that information regarding law colleges could be taken directly from the Directorate of Legal Education as well as from its website. He said the PM had granted Rs4 crore for the directorate from his discretionary fund in lieu of grant in aid while grant Rs4 crore would also be provided to the Supreme Court Bar Association as well.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Ahsan Bhoon thanked the law minister for taking steps for solving problems of the legal fraternity. He also demanded the federal law minister as well as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to withdraw the review petition against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. He said the government would also look into the matter of appointment of a permanent secretary for the Ministry of Law and Justice. Earlier, the federal law minister was given a briefing on the Directorate of Legal Education.