Rifts appear within Lahore's legal fraternity over plea against lifetime disqualification

The bar association is split over the petition against the lifetime disqualification of Nawaz Sharif

LAHORE:

The legal fraternity in Lahore seemed divided over the Supreme Court Bar Association’s (SCBA) initiative of filing a petition against the lifetime disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The internal split over the petition within the fraternity led to opposing press conferences which were held at the Lahore High Court’s premises on Tuesday.

The press conference supporting the petition was led by LHCBA’s Secretary Khawaja Mohsin Abbas, LHCBA’s Finance Secretary Faisal Touqeer Sial, LBA Vice President Ehsan Nawab, and other bar representatives.

Conversely, the conference against the SCBA’s petition was led by LHCBA’s president Maqsood Ahmad Buttar, LHCBA’s Vice President Mudassir Abbas Maghiana, and LBA president Rao Sami.

LHCBA’s President Buttar accused the SCBA of impropriety, stating that the lawyer’s community would not support measures taken with vested interests.

“It is an individual step and no one supports it”, he maintained.

Responding to a question, the president stated that if the SCBA did not withdraw its petition, lawyers would take the matter to the Pakistan Bar Council, resulting in a countrywide lawyer’s convention to be organized against the decision.

Buttar furthered that challenging the lifetime disqualification is the concern of political parties and not of the SCBA.

The LHCBA’s former President Shafqat Chohan, sided with Buttar’s stance stating that lawyers should prefer to resolve the community’s problems and would raise their voices across the country if the petition was not repealed.

In opposition to the stance, the LHCBA’s Secretary Khawaja Mohsin Abbas defended the SCBA and stated that as an independent body, it could take the decision to file the petition against the lifetime disqualification of Nawaz Sharif.

Criticising President Buttar, Mohsin Abbas accused the president of imposing an individualised stance by holding a press conference without taking into confidence the LHCBA’s members.

Secretary Abbas specified that they will defend the actions of the SCBA, which has acted in accordance with the law.

“SCBA is not following anyone’s agenda but those who held the press conference against the SCBA are definitely working on a specific agenda which is against the norms of moral values”, he added.

Read: "SC refuses to entertain plea against lifetime disqualification"

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to entertain the petition filed by the SCBA challenging the lifetime disqualification of lawmakers under Article 62 (1) (f) of the Constitution.

SC registrar office returned the SCBA constitution petition by raising several objections.

It is learnt that the SC office stated that the matter has already been settled by five judges of a larger bench. Likewise, the objection was also raised on the locus standi of the petitioner.