LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) said on Thursday the judges should not partake in politics of the legal fraternity and avoid attending gatherings hosted by private entities.

At a press conference, LHCBA president Maqsood Buttar said judges were not supposed to get involved in political activities of the bar.

Professional Group head Hamid Khan and former bar president Shafqat Mahmood Chohan also joined Buttar at the conference.

Referring to the recently held Asma Jahangir Conference attended by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad and other judges, the lawyers’ leaders said the judges should avoid participation in functions hosted by entities other than the bars.

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They said the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), being a top political wing of the legal fraternity, needed to maintain its neutral role and as a co-host, it failed to manage the affairs responsibly.

Mr Khan said there had been a tradition that the bar would not hold conferences in collaboration with private organisations or NGOs. He said the bar was not supposed to toe the agenda of any political party but support law and the Constitution.

However, he supported the views expressed by Ali Ahmad Kurd, former president of the SCBA, regarding functioning of the judiciary. He said the judiciary should be free from any pressure and influence from any quarter.

The lawyers also demanded that the Supreme Judicial Council initiate action against the judges participating in the politics of the bar.

They said fingers were being raised in bars, public and media on the role of the judiciary which was a matter of concern.

They said passing decisions on the basis of personal liking or disliking amounted to judicial misconduct by the judges. They said the appointment process for the judges in the superior judiciary required to be more transparent.

The Hamid Khan group announced that it would hold a national-level conference soon.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2021