PBC committee dissolution: Disputing parties to conclude arguments today

IHC told the two rival groups to file replies, rebuttals or documents that they desired


Our Correspondent September 26, 2016
IHC told the two rival groups to file replies, rebuttals or documents that they desired. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Monday told disputing parties arguing over the dissolution of Pakistan Bar Council’s (PBC) committees to present their final arguments in the case on September 27 (today).

A special division bench comprising Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi and Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui fixed the case for final rebuttals after the Hamid Khan-led Professional Group, Asma Jahangir-led Democratic Group and Additional Attorney General Afnan Karim Kundi, concluded their arguments.

On September 3, the Democratic Group had secured a majority in the PBC when a member of the Professional Group and head of PBC’s executive committee, Abdul Fayaz, jumped ship.

The switch gave the Democratic Group majority in the body and allowed it to take over the chairmanship of 21-member PBC standing committee.

Subsequently, all the committees were suspended. However the move was challenged by Legal Education Committee Chairman Mohammad Shoaib Shaheen, Law Reforms Committee Chairman Chaudhry Ishtiaq Ahmed and Appeal Committee Chairman Tahir Nasarullah Warriach.

The court subsequently ordered to restore all the committees of the PBC which had been suspended.

Issuing a stay order against the dissolution of the committees, the special division bench had allowed the Professional Group to continue performing its duties till the next hearing.

At the last hearing of the case, the court had ordered the parties to maintain the status-quo and submit any replies, rebuttals, rejoinders or any other documents they wished for substantiating their case.

The case will be taken up today (Tuesday).

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2016.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ