SBC wants president, PM tried for high treason

KARACHI:

The lawyer fraternity of Sindh observed a strike on Tuesday to protest against the dissolution of the National Assembly, which according to them is an “unconstitutional” move.

Sindh Bar Council Vice Chairman Zulfiqar Jalbani said that President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan and the law minister should be tried for high treason - the punishment for abrogation of the Constitution.

"Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan should be applied to the president, prime minister, deputy speaker and law minister," Jalnani said at a news conference called to express views over the issue of the ruling by the deputy speaker on the no-confidence motion against the PM.

Jalbani said that the ruling of the NA deputy speaker and the dissolution of the lower house by the president of Pakistan is unconstitutional. “When a no-confidence motion has already been moved, it must be voted on.”

The PM, in view of his defeat, sent an advice to dissolve the assembly. In this regard, “we have filed a petition in the Supreme Court”. “Justice Gulzar Ahmed is being nominated for the post of caretaker prime minister. But Justice Gulzar Ahmed himself should reject the offer because if he accepts it, it will give the impression that he was with the PTI all through his tenure.”

The SBC vice chairman said that lawyers will not take a step back from their stand. “We will resist any unconstitutional act. We expect the Supreme Court to rule in accordance with the Constitution.

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“We will be with the bar council on the decision of the Supreme Court. Lawyers will not take any illegal action. We will adopt all the constitutional and legal options and the path of protest.

“Our lawyer Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed will present our case before the Supreme Court. We hope that the Supreme Court will declare the ruling unconstitutional.”

If a lawyer justifies this action, he said, he should produce the evidence.

On the other hand, the Sindh High Court Bar Association passed a resolution against the dissolution of the National Assembly and the ruling of the deputy speaker.

The resolution also expressed reservations over the nomination of former chief justice Gulzar Ahmed as caretaker PM.

The nomination of the chief justice, who retired two months ago, will make the judiciary controversial.

The president took an unconstitutional step by dissolving the assemblies, while the deputy speaker did not have the authority to give the ruling.

The Supreme Court should form a full court bench on the constitutional crisis. The legal community strongly condemns the illegal move.

On the other hand, on the call of strike by the SBC against the actions of the deputy speaker, the court proceedings under Karachi bar were boycotted in the City Court. Lawyers did not appear in the courts in protest. There was less rush than usual in the City Court. Prisoners brought from jail were also sent back without hearing of their cases.