PESHAWAR: The Pesha­war High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) on Thursday expressed concern over filing of references against superior court judges and said the move was aimed to undermine the independence of judiciary.

A statement issued by PHCBA’s President Abdul Lateef Afridi urged the Pakistan Bar Council to convene a meeting of all the associations representing lawyers at the earliest to discuss the issue and chalk out a strategy for the future.

“The news that references have been filed against a judge of the Supreme Court and two judges of high courts has alarmed the legal fraternity, … as the judiciary as an institution is the ultimate arbiter between the state and its citizens,” the PHCBA’s statement said.

It added the references were obviously meant to undermine the independence of the judiciary as the judges have been subjected to humiliation and disrespect in the eyes of the public.

It added that the legal community fully understood the problems of both the judiciary and the people of Pakistan to which such tainted references were not the answer. “The legal fraternity would not let down the judges of the superior judiciary and will opt for any action in consultation with all organisations of lawyers in Pakistan.”

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2019