Bar associations: ‘Abrogator of Constitution, abettor equally triable’
Lawyers laud judgement on PCO judges, criticise Asma Jehangir.
KARACHI:
Those who abrogated the Constitution and those who abetted and strengthened the hands of undemocratic forces should be taken to book, urged office bearers of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC), Karachi Bar Association (KBA), Malir Bar Association (MBA) and the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP) at a joint press conference on Friday.
The representatives lauded the Supreme Court’s order against those judges who took oath under the provisional constitution order (PCO), despite a restraining order by a seven-member bench of the apex court to protect the Constitution and ensure supremacy of law. The Supreme Court had ordered proceedings under the contempt of court act against the PCO judges.
Iftikhar Javed Kazi, the newly-elected SBC vice chairman, said the lawyers’ movement and the struggle for an independent judiciary is not over even though some people disassociated themselves from it for personal benefits. “The lawyers’ fraternity believes that unless action is taken against PCO judges, the Constitution would not be protected from any adventurism in future.” Criticism and threats by pro-government lawyers are condemned by the lawyers of Sindh, Kazi added.
The chairman of SBC’s committee for inter-provincial coordination, Mahmoodul Hassan said that for the first time in 63 years, the judiciary now is able to take action against people responsible for the rampant corruption.
About SCBAP president Asma Jahangir, he said that instead of criticising the “historic judgment” by the Supreme Court, she should struggle to unveil the killers of Benazir Bhutto and Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.
KBA president Muhammad Aqil said that to put an end to extra-constitutional measures such as the PCO, the judgment by the apex court was necessary.
Meanwhile, Zia Awan said that Asma Jahangir appears to be representing the government and not the lawyers.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2011.
Those who abrogated the Constitution and those who abetted and strengthened the hands of undemocratic forces should be taken to book, urged office bearers of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC), Karachi Bar Association (KBA), Malir Bar Association (MBA) and the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP) at a joint press conference on Friday.
The representatives lauded the Supreme Court’s order against those judges who took oath under the provisional constitution order (PCO), despite a restraining order by a seven-member bench of the apex court to protect the Constitution and ensure supremacy of law. The Supreme Court had ordered proceedings under the contempt of court act against the PCO judges.
Iftikhar Javed Kazi, the newly-elected SBC vice chairman, said the lawyers’ movement and the struggle for an independent judiciary is not over even though some people disassociated themselves from it for personal benefits. “The lawyers’ fraternity believes that unless action is taken against PCO judges, the Constitution would not be protected from any adventurism in future.” Criticism and threats by pro-government lawyers are condemned by the lawyers of Sindh, Kazi added.
The chairman of SBC’s committee for inter-provincial coordination, Mahmoodul Hassan said that for the first time in 63 years, the judiciary now is able to take action against people responsible for the rampant corruption.
About SCBAP president Asma Jahangir, he said that instead of criticising the “historic judgment” by the Supreme Court, she should struggle to unveil the killers of Benazir Bhutto and Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.
KBA president Muhammad Aqil said that to put an end to extra-constitutional measures such as the PCO, the judgment by the apex court was necessary.
Meanwhile, Zia Awan said that Asma Jahangir appears to be representing the government and not the lawyers.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2011.