Lawyers’ body demands apology over anti-judiciary statements

Wants PM Nawaz Sharif to denounce statements of Nehal Hashmi in televised address

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) on Friday condemned the anti-judiciary statements by some government representatives and urged the prime minister to condemn them in his upcoming address to the nation.

While addressing a news conference at his office at the IHC on Friday, IHCBA President Arif Chaudhry said that officials of the ruling party have resorted to threatening the judiciary when they discovered that they were in trouble.

The IHCBA president added that the fiery speech of suspended Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nehal Hashmi represented the government’s sentiments.

He further said that those statements presented a “clear message” to the superior judiciary and the Joint-Investigation Team (JIT) investigating the Panama Papers.

Chaudhry said that PML-N government, through a statement, had criticised judges for their remarks censuring government representatives for allegedly trying to politicise the probe into the Sharif family’s offshore assets unveiled in the Panama Papers.

The IHCBA chief said that the government should immediately issue an apology over the statements by party members otherwise, he warned, the IHCBA would consult with other bar associations and would jointly initiate a movement against the government.

During the news conference, Chaudhry said members of the PML-N were openly hurling threats at the judiciary while forgetting that they were beholden to  the judiciary and lawyers’ movement.

He urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to unequivocally condemn the statements by some members of his party rather than relying upon statements issued by his spokespersons.

On May 28 while addressing an event, Hashmi issued veiled threats to members of the judiciary and the JIT. “You are on duty today. Remember, you will be retiring tomorrow. We will make your life and [those of] your family members miserable in Pakistan,” he was seen telling the audience in a video clip which went viral.

The comments drew a firestorm of comments and criticism of the government which led to Hashmi resigning his Senate seat.

The Supreme Court also took suo motu notice of the statement and summoned the PML-N leader, stating that the government was running a ‘systematic campaign’ against judges and members of the JIT.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2017.