KARACHI: The Karachi Bar Association on Friday criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for asking the Chief of the Army Staff for mediation between protesting political parties and the government and said it was a deviation from the Constitution.

Speaking at a press conference held at the bar office in the city courts, KBA president Salahuddin Ahmed along with other office-bearers called upon politicians to find a way out of the current impasse between the protesting parties and the government.

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They condemned the prime minister for engaging General Raheel Sharif in political issues and slammed the chiefs of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek for meeting the army chief and accepting him as a mediator.

The representatives of the KBA further said that the army had no role in politics and mediation of its chief in political affairs was against the constitution.

They said that the army must stay away from politics and asked judges of the apex court to not become part of a judicial commission proposed by the government to probe the alleged rigging in the May 2013 general elections if the army chief was guaranteeing the protesting parties about the commission as it would be against the independence of the judiciary.

Published in Dawn, August 30th , 2014