QUETTA: Lawyers on Saturday called for regularising the Turbat and Sibi benches of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) and said its benches in Khuzdar and Loralai should be made functional.

At an all Balochistan lawyers’ conference, they also demanded an end to the shortage of judges at the BHC and urged the government to honour promises made with the families of 72 lawyers who lost lives in a suicide bombing in Quetta on August 8, 2016.

The conference, which was attended by representatives of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association and district bar associations, also discussed the issue of references filed by the government against Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court and Justice K.K. Agha of the Sindh High Court.

Demand justice for the families of 72 lawyers killed in 2016 suicide bombing

The conference decided that the lawyers would continue their protest till the withdrawal of references against the judges.

Briefing journalists about the decisions taken at the conference, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Balochistan Bar Council Rahib Buledi said that the lawyers’ bodies would organise a national conference on the anniversary of the Quetta carnage. He said the BHC had announced to set up a committee for the victims, but the decision was yet to be implemented.

Buledi said that it was decided that the lawyers’ community would not leave Justice Qazi Faez Isa alone.

The conference termed the filing of references an attempt to undermine the independence of the judiciary.

Mr Buledi said the merit was being violated in appointment of judges for tribunals. He claimed that a man, who did not have educational qualification and experience, had been appointed as principal of a law college.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2019