PESHAWAR: As the lawyers community is set to observe boycott of courts on Friday (today), the Peshawar High Court Bar Association’s president Abdul Lateef Afridi has said that the legal fraternity will protest the references filed by the President of Pakistan against Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court and Justice KK Agha of Sindh High Court.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, he said that lawyers would follow the decisions of Pakistan Bar Council and the provincial bar councils in letter and spirit and would play their role for the rule of law and independence of judiciary.

He said that lawyers would observe complete strike and boycott of courts, hoist black flags and wear black bands round their arms to record their protest against the witch-hunt in judiciary in the name of accountability.

He said that lawyers would also hold meetings on the court premises to pass resolutions condemning the references and demanding of the government to withdraw the same.

He said that lawyers would also demand the Supreme Judicial Council to play its role in protecting independence of the judiciary and save the worthy judges of superior judiciary made target of the references due to ulterior motives and extraneous considerations.

Mr Afridi also appealed to the legal fraternity to remain peaceful and avoid resorting to harsh and foul language while recording their protest.

He said that further action in this regard would be charted by the committee constituted by the Pakistan Bar Council.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2019