QUETTA: Bar council representatives from across the country have expressed their support for the Constitution and threatened a nationwide protest if the Supreme Court does not annul its stay order by May 2 against the bill limiting the CJP’s powers.
On April 13, the Supreme Court (Practise and Procedure) Act 2023 was suspended. On April 21, the federal government notified the bill as an act despite the top court’s stay order.
The BBC and PBC hosted a lawyers’ convention at the Balochistan High Court on Saturday, The News reported.
Vice-chairmen, presidents and representatives of all provincial bar councils, high court bar associations and district bar associations protested the CJP’s refusal to form a larger bench to hear the polls case at the convention.
Moreover, Barrister Salahuddin asked the convention why the CJP assigns sensitive cases to specific judges. He said the country was in crisis and the judicial crisis was worse than elections.
The lawyer suggested a larger CJP bench. He wondered why the chief judge did not form a larger bench.
Advocate Imam Rizvi said the top court calls for unity but does not create it.
IHCBA Vice Chairman Adil Aziz said the current government and Supreme Court wanted to leave us a judiciary no one could trust. He urged public and lawyer trust in the Supreme Court.
SHCBA Vice Chairman Arif Abbasi agreed with Aziz, saying a judge should recuse himself if a party does not want to be heard.
Balochistan Bar Council Advocate Saleem Lashari believed the Supreme Court ruling caused the current crisis.
The crisis would not have occurred had the apex court not violated the Constitution. “The chief justice should have recused himself,” he said.
