PBC delegation to meet Sharif tomorrow

PBC Vice Chairman Kamran Murtaza writes a letter to the Adiala Jail superintendent

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) will visit Adiala Jail tomorrow (Thursday) to meet former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Earlier, PBC Vice Chairman Kamran Murtaza wrote a letter to the Adiala Jail superintendent, stating that a delegation of prominent lawyers of the PBC want to meet with Nawaz Sharif.

The delegation will comprise Kamran Murtaza, Yasin Azad, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Abdul Lateef Afridi and Khalid Javed.

Murtaza told The Express Tribune that in response to the letter, jail authorities allowed the delegation to visit him on Thursday, adding that they are going as ‘observers’ to examine whether he is being treated fairly in the jail or not.



The PBC vice-chairman also expressed serious concern over the present role of the superior judiciary, particularly the apex court.

He wondered that while the apex court is making efforts to bring the looted money back from abroad the judges are completely silent over the ‘stolen mandate’ before the upcoming elections, adding that all political parties except the PTI are raising their voice regarding pre-poll rigging.

Murtaza also questioned the verdicts regarding disqualification of PML-N candidates before the general elections.

“Why is the apex court in such hurry in issuing verdicts in matters related to the PML-N’s potential candidates like Hanif Abbasi, Daniyal Aziz?” he asked.

“The judges should realise that nobody will cite their verdicts, which are being given in politicians’ matters. When everyone is complying their judgments then no one should be convicted or disqualified on the basis of passing remarks against judges,” he added.

Meanwhile, PBC Executive Committee Chairman Shabbir Shar offered to give his service to contest Nawaz Sharif case free of cost, adding Sharif has emerged as a ‘leader of resistance’ in this era.

“We have witnessed that the Sindhi leadership was anti-establishment in the past and Punjab leaders were pro-establishment, but things have totally changed,” he said and added, “For the first time, a Punjabi leader has been confronting the establishment.”

Shar also alleged that the trial against the Sharif family was not fair and added they have strong reservations over the way the apex court has monitored the accountability court’s proceedings.

He said the PBC will also review the whole Panamagate proceedings. “I am sure that the judgment may have been different if the apex court did not supervise the trial proceedings.”



Shar stated that a meeting of the PBC executive committee will be held on July 28 to consider various issues.

He also said that the PBC has serious reservations over the on-going SC’s suo motu proceedings, especially in collecting funds for the construction of dams.

He said it is not the jurisdiction of the court to involve in such matters and added it seems that the court has taken over the executive powers, making it impossible for the superior bars to support it.

Shar said that lawyers are also objecting to the CJP’s visits to hospitals and added that the PBC has already passed unanimous resolutions urging the top court to structure the parameters of suo motu.

The PBC chairman asked as to why the additional district and session judge of Larkana Gul Zameer Solangi has been consoled by sending him to China to attend a seminar for two weeks.