PBC ‘ready’ to call APC to end elections impasse

'Legal fraternity believes in supremacy of constitution, rule of law, independence of the judiciary, democracy'


Our Correspondent March 18, 2023
PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Friday said it was “ready to call/arrange” an All Parties Conference (APC) to take the conversation forward.

The apex regulatory body of lawyers, in a statement, stated that it was ready to invite all the central leadership of parliamentary parties to reconcile their disputes through dialogue and to hold free, fair and transparent elections to all Assemblies on a mutually agreed timeframe.

Haroon-ur-Rashid, Vice-Chairman and Hassan Raza Pasha Chairman, Executive Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council, said that the PBC and the legal fraternity believe in the supremacy of the constitution, the rule of law, independence of the judiciary as well as democracy and civil authority through the democratic process, and always resist to undemocratic forces, who become cause to destabilise the country.

They while realizing the gravity of the crisis and the very grim and chaotic situation of the country’s political, economic and social conditions said that all parliamentary parties should resolve their disputes through dialogue and pay attention to other major public issues like inflation, devaluation of currency and unemployment, the statement added.

"They also expressed that the Pakistan Bar Council and the legal fraternity have always strived for the aforementioned objectives and play a positive role in ensuring the continuity of the democratic process of the country as enshrined in the constitution, offered services for mediation among parliamentary parties in past through All Parties Conference (APC) and will continue to do so."

They further added that in the present situation, the Pakistan Bar Council is ready to call/arrange All Parties Conference and to invite all the central leadership of parliamentary parties to reconcile their disputes through dialogue and to hold free, fair and transparent elections to all assemblies on a mutually agreed timeframe.

They further endorsed the message of civil society and their invitation to form an informal group of mediators to engage with all parliamentary parties to start a reconciliation process to forge a national consensus on the holding of free, fair and transparent elections to all assemblies on a mutually agreed timeframe for the sake of country because the country cannot afford to further linger on prevailing tensions.

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