LAHORE: The country’s two apex legal bodies on Saturday called for withdrawal of additional perks and privileges being enjoyed by former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

At a joint press conference of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), newly elected chairman executive committee of the council, Ahsan Bhoon, said all former CJs should be treated equally.

He was elected unopposed for a one-year term in an election held prior to the media briefing at Karachi Shuhada Hall of the Lahore High Court Bar Association. Office-bearers of both legal bodies were present at the briefing.

Responding to a media query, Mr Bhoon was of the view that giving undue perks to selected retired judges reflected that the government had been beneficiary of verdicts by those judges.

Mr Bhoon disapproved ad hoc appointments of judges in the superior judiciary and urged the Judicial Commission to implement the recommendations given by the bar.

Quoting Article 19-A of the Constitution (right to information), he asked the Chief Justice of Pakistan to provide the bar copies of references pending against the judges before Supreme Judicial Council. He also urged the apex court to avoid passing negative remarks against judges of high courts by mentioning their names. He said negative observation by the Supreme Court about a judge of high court risked independence of judiciary.

Mr Bhoon also condemned rampant exchanges of harsh words between senior lawyers and the judges of apex court. He said the judges should strictly observe the code of conduct.

PBC Vice Chairman Azam Nazir Tarar said the joint meeting also called for amendments in criminal laws for the dispensation of speedy justice to the masses.

He lamented that the parliament had been indifferent to amending the laws following need of the hour. He said establishing military courts was not the right answer to menace of terrorism. He also urged the Supreme Court to decide the pending petitions against the 21st amendment at the earliest. If deemed necessary, he said, the PBC would also become a party to the case.

Mr Tarar stated that the PBC was going to ask all bar associations of the country in writing to observe strike in unavoidable situations only.

SCBA President Fazal-i-Haq Abbasi said the frequent strikes of legal fraternity caused problems to litigants. He discouraged unnecessary strikes by bars.

Published in Dawn March 15th , 2015

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