PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council announced to observe black day and strike on Tuesday (today) against multiple issues including expected elevation of a judge of Sindh High Court, who is firth in the seniority list, to Supreme Court and filing of a review petition by the government in Justice Qazi Faez Isa case.

An emergency meeting of the council was held here that was attended by its vice chairman Naeemuddin Khan, its executive committee chairman Haji Zafar Iqbal and other members. The council decided to observe black day, asking lawyers across the province not to attend court proceedings.

The participants of the meeting said that legal fraternity would not remain silent over different unconstitutional moves by the government.

The council expressed concerns over reports of expected elevation of Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar of Sindh High Court, fifth on the seniority list of judges, to Supreme Court.

The participants stated that the move was in violation of the rules of Judicial Commission of Pakistan. They added that in Al-Jehad Trust case the apex court had ruled that the principle of seniority should be followed in appointment and elevation of judges.

They said that superseding the chief justice of the high court and elevating a judge junior to him would be unconstitutional and illegal.

The council also expressed concerns over alternate dispute resolution law and termed it encroachment on the powers of judiciary.

It also condemned filing of a review petition in the case of Justice Faez Isa in the Supreme Court and termed it a conspiracy by the government against the judge.

The council asked all the bar associations in the province to hold protest meetings and also send their recommendations to the council so that future course of action could be adopted in that regard.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2021