PBC splits into two factions over SC act

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Tuesday split into two factions over the stay order issued by an eight-member bench of the Supreme Court on the judicial reforms act, as most of the bar associations and councils dissociated themselves from the protest that was announced for the day.

On Monday, the legal fraternity expressed "serious concern over the Supreme Court's role in the prevailing serious political crisis”, urging it to “recall the interim orders” suspending the proposed Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023.

They warned that the duly elected representatives of the bar councils and associations would be compelled to call upon the legal fraternity to launch a countrywide movement to protect the democratic and constitutional rights of the people if the apex courts failed to recall its interim orders.

A joint declaration issued after a meeting of representatives of Pakistan, provincial/Islamabad bar councils, high courts and Supreme Court bar associations stated that the legal fraternity would mark April 18 as a Black Day in protest against the suspension of the ‘Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act, 2023’ by the Supreme Court of Pakistan”.

However, on Tuesday, one faction of the PBC rejected the joint declaration, saying that it was based on malicious intent. It said the “sole purpose” of the declaration was to damage the independence of the judiciary and was tantamount to an attack on the apex court.

It said that the declaration was “insulting” and “deviated from the Constitution”.

“A response with full force will be given to the conspiracy hatched on the directives of the government against the Supreme Court and the chief justice, while the lawyers will not be part of any collusion.”

Meanwhile, the protest announced by the legal fraternity failed with the bar councils dissociating themselves from the move.

The Supreme Court Bar, Lahore High Court Bar Association and Punjab Bar Council rejected the call for protest and conducted their affairs as per routine.

The PBC president maintained that they stood by the chief justice.

Most of the lawyers of the Karachi Bar Association also ignored the protest call for observing a black day and continued with their work at the Sindh High Court, including other subordinate courts.