PESHAWAR/TIMERGARA: The lawyers boycotted all courts across the province on Tuesday to protest the filing of reference against two superior court judges by the government.

They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the references declaring their filing an attack on the independence of judiciary.

Wearing black armbands, the lawyers stayed away from courts.

They hoisted black flags on the premises of courts, including Peshawar High Court.

The call for strike was given by the Pakistan Bar Council and was endorsed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and Peshawar High Court Bar Association.

Declare govt’s move attack on independent judiciary

Representatives of lawyer bodies, including Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA), claimed that the strike was a success as across the province, the lawyers didn’t attend proceedings in all courts, including the high court.

Several representatives and members of lawyer associations had gone to Islamabad to show solidarity with Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court and Justice Karim Khan Agha of the Sindh High Court as the Supreme Judicial Council heard references filed by the government against them.

Earlier, the KP Bar Council had pronounced that the reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa was based on mala fide intention as he was an upright judge known for delivering judgments without fear or favour.

PHCBA president Abdul Lateef Afridi said lawyers would follow the decisions of the Pakistan Bar Council and provincial bar councils in letter and spirit and would play their due role for the rule of law and independence of judiciary.

He said the filing of references against judges by the government was meant to undermine the independence of judiciary.

In Lower Dir, too, lawyers boycotted courts and held a protest demonstration against the references filed by the government against the two superior court judges.

Led by district bar association president Jehan Bahadar, the protesting lawyers marched on the road from the barroom to the Timergara Press Club carrying banners and placards and shouting slogans in favour of Justice Qazi Faez Isa and independence of judiciary.

Lawyers Jehan Bahadar, Hazrat Rehman, Kifayat Yar Bukhari and Sher Hayat said the legal fraternity was not ready to accept references against judges as their filing was an attack on independent judiciary.

They said they didn’t back judges and instead, they wanted to protect the independence of judiciary.

The lawyers said they would render all possible sacrifices for the protection of judicial system.

They demanded of the government to withdraw references against judges without delay.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2019