Lawyers’ convention: Denial of right to attorney condemned

Lawyers say fresh elections necessary for political stability.


Our Correspondent June 21, 2012

LAHORE:


Lawyers’ representatives from across the country have condemned the denial of the right to an attorney, saying there was a trend whereby lawyers were being “intimidated” and discouraged from representing certain clients.


In a unanimous resolution, the All Pakistan Lawyers’ Representatives Convention on Thursday also condemned the practice of immediate suspension of membership by bar associations without due procedure, and a recent incident where the Rawalpindi Bar Association barred noted lawyer Asma Jahangir from entering its premises.

In recent months, there have been at least two instances of high profile personalities being unable to engage counsel after negative media coverage of their alleged crimes. Just yesterday, the Supreme Court granted property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain a week’s adjournment in a contempt case as he has been unable to find a lawyer.

Earlier this year, Aslam Madhyana, a former PPP legislator accused of breaking a school teacher’s legs, had his case transferred to Lahore as no lawyer in his native Sargodha was willing to represent him.

The convention, attended by representatives of bar associations and bar councils from around the country, was held at the Karachi Shuhada Hall of the Lahore High Court Bar Association.

The lawyers, through the resolution, also reiterated their support for an independent judiciary, saying they would observe June 28 as ‘Solidarity With Judiciary Day’. They called upon all bar associations to hold general body meetings on the day.

They appealed to the chief justices of the Supreme Court and the High Courts to impress upon the media the need for restrictions on discussions on sub-judice matters on television talk shows. “However, all judgments are public property and freedom of expression is the basic right of all people while discussing them,” the resolution read.

Briefing the press, Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Akhtar Hussain said that the council would take action against bar associations that prevented their members from representing anyone.

He said that the meeting agreed that fresh elections were the only way to avert the growing political instability. He urged political parties to be “mature and prudent” in the critical days ahead.

Resolution

“Pakistan needs more democracy, rather than derailment of the system,” read the resolution, calling for fresh elections. “As a first emergent step the government and the opposition must agree to appoint an independent election commissioner who has the confidence of all political forces as well as the electorate. A neutral caretaker government is the only guarantee to a free, fair and transparent election. Any further obstacles placed in the conduct of general elections will create chaos and anarchy in the country. All institutions must respect the mandate of each other and this will benefit all civilian authorities and the promotion of stable democracy.”

The lawyers agreed that only the PBC could call a strike on national issues at the national level, while the provincial bars could call for protests at the provincial level. They urged the government to set up high court benches in Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Zhob-Loralai and Turbat.

They also constituted a National Coordination Committee consisting of the PBC vice chairman and PBC executive committee chairman, the vice-chairmen of the provincial bar councils, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and the presidents of bar associations at the principal seats of the four High Courts.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Yasin Azad, PBC Executive Committee Chairman Burhan Moazzam Malik, PBC members Azam Nazir Tarar, Mian Israrul Haq and Ahsan Bhoon, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council Vice Chairman Fazal Tawab, and Balochistan High Court Bar Association President Zahoor Ahmad also attended the convention.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2012.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ