QUETTA: President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Amanullah Kanrani has announced that lawyers community will extend legal assistance to Justice Qazi Faez Isa in both show-cause notices issued to him by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and will not bow down before the government which had filed references against the apex court judge.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday evening along with other lawyers, he said that references were filed against Justice Isa of the apex court and Justice K.K. Agha of the Sindh High Court under a well-planned conspiracy. He said the government through a fake reference wanted to deprive Balochistan of the top judge of the apex court as Justice Isa would be the senior most judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The SCBA president recalled that Justice Isa as chief justice of Balochistan High Court had taken bold and brave decisions against terrorism and made the state institutions answerable according to the country’s Constitution.

Separating Justice Isa from judicial system will be considered as murder of justice, says Kanrani

“Separating Justice Isa from the judicial system will be considered as murder of justice and of the wishes of not only people of Balochistan but the people of the entire country,” Mr Kanrani said, adding that he was leaving for Islamabad on Tuesday to start consulting senior lawyers about extending legal assistance to Justice Isa on the two show-cause notices issued to him by the SJC.

He said the lawyers protest would be made more effective and in this regard a comprehensive strategy would be evolved. “We will fight our legal and constitutional battle,” he added.

Mr Kanrani said this issue was not only related to the lawyers and judges only but also to the 22 million Pakistanis who wanted independent judiciary and honest judges in the country. “Such acts and steps are taken when arguments come to an end,” he said, adding that filing such references were not in the interest of the state.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2019