In Lahore, the bar gears up to take on the bench

Development comes in the wake of former AGP's resignation

LAHORE: The legal fraternity has vowed to devise a mechanism to take on the full bench of the Lahore High Court. This development comes in the wake of the resignation of former advocate general Punjab (AGP) Ahmed Awais.

Awais claimed it was time to defend the dignity of the black coat. Awais, after his resignation, was given a warm reception by the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) at Aiwan-e-Adl. Hundreds of lawyers clapped, showered him with rose petals and shouted slogans in his favor.

They believed that the former AGP refused to bow down. Awais had been issued a contempt notice by an LHC full bench headed by Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan. Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan and Justice Aalian Neelum were the other members of the bench.

“We are focusing on challenging the conduct of the judges either before a full bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan or the Supreme Judicial Council. Anther line of action could be the filing of a writ petition to challenge the formation of the full bench at the Lahore High Court,” it was resolved.

“The lawyers are going to launch a new movement via a legal battle”. He said the bench violated the law while hearing the petitions which challenged the formation of a new joint investigation team (JIT) for a fresh probe into the Model Town massacre.

Awais said there was undue urgency shown when deciding the case and he was not afforded the opportunity for a hearing. He added the case was not mentioned in any weekly cause list and alleged the bench had committed several other violations. He added that the allegation against him of shouting at the court had nothing to do with reality.

He said Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, provincial law minister Raja Basharat and the law secretary were called to the LHC to apply pressure on them. He said the bench sought an apology from him for an offense had hadn’t committed.

The former AGP said it was astonishing enough that the bench withdrew the contempt notice issued against him. He remained at a loss to understand how the court could ‘forgive’ him when he never apologised.

“We are here to take you into confidence as the time has come to tackle elements that are tarnishing the image of the bar associations and black coats by issuing contempt notices or having FIRs registered against lawyers," Awais said.

Former Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) president Rana Zia Abdur Rehman said the lawyers were united with the former AGP over his stance. He said Advocate Awais refused to bow down before the bench to uphold the honour of the black coat.

He said such tactics would not weaken the resolve of the legal fraternity and all conspiracies would be thwarted Punjab Bar Council member Chaudhary Maqsood Buttar said the lawyers would fight for the independence of the bar.

He added preplanned conspiracies were being hatched against lawyers. Lahore Bar Association (LBA) president Muhammad Asim Cheema said his body was also standing by the former AGP and awaiting his deadline. He said they would do everything for the sake of their profession.

The AGP allegedly yelled in the court when a full bench, on March 22, with a majority view of two to one judges, suspended the operation of an impugned notification of the Punjab government. Under the notification, a new JIT had been formed for a fresh probe into the 2014 Model Town massacre.

The notification was suspended until a final decision on the main writ petition of the case. The bench, in its order, mentioned that Advocate General Punjab Ahmad Awais, along with dozens of law officers, appeared in court and took possession of the rostrum.

“The AGP started shouting that this court could not pass any interim order without affording him the opportunity of a hearing.” He was warned time and again to control his volume, but he and other law officers kept shouting in court and tried pressurise it into announcing an order in his favour.

“The conduct of the AGP and other law officers before this court is highly contemptuous. He is directed to submit a reply as to why contempt proceedings under sections 3 and 5 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2002, read with Article 204 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, may not be initiated against him.”