Govt, opposition vying to influence bar

The role of the bar seems to be becoming pivotal in the prevailing political scenario with both the government and the opposition making moves to influence and control the bar politics.

On September 17, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) held an all parties conference (APC) in which senior opposition leaders – PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto – had taken part.

The lawyers APC had also passed a declaration against “unabated assault on civil liberties and the process of accountability leading to increased public mistrust on the institutions”.

The APC had also called for changing the procedure of judges’ appointments, while raising questions about increasing influence of establishment in the government affairs.

To counter the PBC move, the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF) – the legal wing of the ruling party – will hold a grand convention of lawyers on October 9. ILF Chairman Ali Zafar while talking to The Express Tribune said they are arranging ‘Justice Convention’ in which Prime Minister Imran Khan will address.

Zafar said the PM will talk about legal reforms but may also touch upon the prevailing political situation.

“More than 2,000 lawyers would attend the convention from all over the country including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Balistan.” He, however, claimed that bar politics has no link with national politics.

Interestingly, Ali Zafar is associated with the Asma Jahangir group, which is giving tough time to the federal government and the establishment.

In the recent past, Ali Zafar was elected as the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president. He was fielded by Asma Group. The SCBA annual elections will be held at the end of October.

The SCBA is the body of senior lawyers, who practice in the apex court.

Presently, around 3,000 lawyers throughout the country are the members of the SCBA. The superior judiciary always takes into account the opinion of the representatives of the SCBA in any critical issue.

The bar has always remained vocal on national issues like violation of civil liberties and freedom of speech etc. Therefore, the SCBA’s role in national politics cannot be ruled out.

A senior lawyer said the bar is always sensitive to abuse of fundamental rights by the state institutions. Even when a judge takes a stand against undemocratic forces, lawyers always take stand with him.

In upcoming SCBA elections, Asma Group had fielded renowned activist lawyer Lateef Afridi for the slot of president. Hamid Khan Group is supporting Sattar Khan for the same slot. Both the candidates belong to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Lateef Afridi is also associated with the Pukhtun nationalist party, ANP. He is representing heirs of missing persons in several matters. Afridi is a strong supporter of civilian supremacy in the country.

Sattar Khan, however, is backed by Minister for Law Dr Farogh Naseem.

The Asma Group alleges that Sattar will follow the PTI government’s agenda. It also claims that Sattar Khan as the PBC member had opposed a resolution against a presidential reference filed by the government for removal of Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

However, a member of Hamid Khan Group stated that they will take an undertaking from Sattar Khan that he would support Justice Isa against the government campaign.

According to sources, the federal government is planning to bring a new legislation for regulating the lawyers. The legislation will be introduced next year, when the PTI will get a majority in the Senate.

Sources also revealed that the government is planning to bring comprehensive judicial reforms through simple legislation next year. Legal experts said the next tenure of the SCBA president will be significant in view of the government plan to regulate working of the legal fraternity and judiciary.

Former PBC vice chairman Syed Amjad Shah who is a member of Asma group said the government is actively involved in lawyers’ politics to suppress the lawyers. “The past record of Lateef Afridi shows that he resisted undemocratic forces. Currently, he is pleading cases of the PTM leaders,” he added.