It’s the courts responsibility to interpret the law: CJ

A total of 18 lawyers were registered as advocates of the Supreme Court of Pakistan during the 14th roll signing ceremony.

ISLAMABAD: A total of 18 lawyers, prominent among them Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Baz Muhammad Kakar, were registered as advocates of the Supreme Court of Pakistan during the 14th roll signing ceremony held in the apex court building on Saturday.

Of the total, 14 from Balochistan, two from Islamabad, one each from Sindh and Punjab signed the roll in front of the chief justice of Pakistan.

Bukhari, a staunch Pakistan People’s Party worker, also enjoys the status of Leader of the House in the Senate despite the fact that he lost the election in February 2008.

Baz Muhammad Kakar, President of the Balochistan Bar Association, recently stole headlines for boycotting Law Minister Babar Awan’s recent visit to the Balochistan High Court Bar and refusing to receive money from him.

Kakar also holds the reputation of being an active member of the lawyers’ movement as a close ally of Ali Ahmed Kurd, before he distanced himself from his group, especially after the 18th amendment was challenged in the Supreme Court.

Addressing the newly-enrolled advocates, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said: “The responsibility of judges and members of the Bar is to interpret the Constitution. To decide case is an onerous duty which you have to discharge as member of the Bar and we as the Bench in accordance with the Constitution. If a case is decided according to the Constitution and law, the Bench and the Bar feel satisfied with the decision even if the case is decided against one of the members of the Bar.

“I know all of you and recognise your ability and talent. You deserve your enrolment as advocates of the Supreme Court and I congratulate all of you on behalf of the Supreme Court and on my own behalf.

“After getting enrolled in the Supreme Court, you have to work hard, elucidating the area of your jurisdiction to appear before the different benches regarding the interpretation of the Constitution.

“By appearing in the Supreme Court, you are supposed to provide assistance to the Bench, and you must come fully prepared and assist the Bench to decide the cases in accordance with the Constitution.”