SCBA decries PDM's planned sit-in
PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Abid Zuberi and Secretary Muqtedir Akhtar Shabbir on Saturday disapproved of the protest as well as the sit-in announced by the ruling coalition in front of the apex court on May 15 (Monday).
In a statement, they wrote that the SCBA was deeply committed to upholding the Constitution, the principles of the rule of law and the integrity of the country's judicial institutions.
A day earlier, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that the ruling alliance would stage a peaceful protest demonstration in front of the Supreme Court over its "unjust behaviour", shortly after the Islamabad High Court granted PTI chairman Imran Khan interim bail for two weeks in the Al-Qadir Trust case as well as other ones registered against him anywhere in the country, barring the authorities from arresting him till May 15.
On Thursday, the top court came to the rescue of the deposed premier as it declared his arrest from the premises of the IHC on Tuesday as illegal and directed his immediate release.
Read more: 'Make your own party': Imran hits back at military
Dozens of troops of paramilitary Rangers had broken into an office of the IHC and whisked Imran away in an armoured vehicle in a whirlwind raid while executing the arrest warrant issued against the ousted premier by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
In the SCBA statement, the two office-bearers wrote that while they recognised and respected the right to a peaceful protest and freedom of expression, they firmly believed that any attempt to undermine or challenge the authority of the apex court was detrimental to the foundations of democracy.
They called on all political parties to refrain from taking any action that might undermine the integrity and functioning of the judiciary..
“[We stand] with the rule of law, supremacy of the Constitution and independence of judiciary and, in doing so,[we] have extended [our] unwavering support and solidarity in protecting the Supreme Court against the [protest planned to take place on May 15] by … political parties,” the SCBA statement read.
It added that association expressed its strong disapproval of any attempt to undermine the sanctity and integrity of the top court.
The SCBA office-bearers further claimed that violence in any form including a “violent” sit-in or protest would be in violation of law.
They added that these actions would amount to threatening the peace as well as public order as Section 144 of PPC and Article 245 of the Constitution had already been invoked in the federal capital.
“Therefore, it is incumbent upon the federal government, law enforcement agencies and its relevant subsidiaries to make fool-proof security arrangements in order to ensure [the] safety and protection of the Supreme Court,” the SCBA demanded.
The association maintained that engaging in protests against the SC, particularly those aimed at eroding public trust in its decisions, compromised the very essence of the rule of law.
The SCBA also called upon all stakeholders to reduce the political temperature in the country in its best interest.
The statement concluded that the association in particular, and the “entire legal fraternity in general” stood united in their commitment to protect the Supreme Court, Constitution and rule of law.