Rifts emerge among Lahore lawyers over SCBA plea

The legal fraternity in Lahore seems 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 within the fraternity over the petition led to opposing news conferences which were held at the Lahore High Court’s premises on Tuesday.

The news conference in favour of the petition was led by LHCBA Secretary Khawaja Mohsin Abbas, Finance Secretary Faisal Touqeer Sial, LBA Vice President Ehsan Nawab, and other bar representatives.

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

LHCBA President Buttar said, “It appears that the SCBA is following someone’s specific agenda. The lawyer’s community did not support such a step, which is taken following vested interests. It is an individual step and no one supports it.”

To a query, he said, “If the SCBA did not withdraw its petition, the lawyers will take this matter to the Pakistan Bar Council and then a countrywide lawyers’ convention will be organised against this decision.

“Challenging it is not purely a matter of the SCBA, it is for the political parties to challenge the lifetime disqualification.”

Former LHCBA president Shafqat Chohan said, “The lawyers should prefer to resolve its community’s problems rather than washing clothes of others.”

He said they would raise their voice across the country if the petition was not withdrawn.

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On the other hand, LHCBA Secretary Khawaja Mohsin Abbas said, “The SCBA is an independent body and it can take the decision to file a petition against the lifetime disqualification of Nawaz Sharif.”

Criticising Buttar, the secretary said, “Holding a news conference without taking the rest of the members into confidence is tantamount to imposing an individual version.”

He said they would defend the SCBA act, which “did what should be done in accordance with the law”.

“The SCBA is not fallowing anyone’s agenda but those who held a news conference against the SCBA’s move are definitely working on a specific agenda which is against moral values,” he added.

Bother the president and the secretary claimed their versions to be correct.

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.

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

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