LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Saturday condemned an ‘objectionable’ statement of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the top regulatory body of lawyers in the country, regarding Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmad Ali Sheikh.

“The statement issued by the vice-chairman of the PBC is inappropriate and beyond facts,” said a joint statement issued by LHCBA president Maqsood Buttar, vice president Mudassai Abbas Maghiana and finance secretary Faisal Tauqir Sial.

The LHCBA leaders said that the statement of the PBC could be a personal opinion of the vice-chairman or a particular group but did not represent the whole legal fraternity.

They contended that the LHCBA had great reservation over the statement of the PBC vice-chairman. They said the legal fraternity believed in the principle of seniority for the elevation of judges to the Supreme Court.

In a statement published in the media, PBC vice-chairman Hafeezur Rehman Chaudhry opposed any move to elevate the SHC chief justice to the Supreme Court until a case about alleged irregular appointment of paralegal staff in the high court was decided.

He said Chief Justice Sheikh should not be considered for elevation to the apex court until the pending case as well as references under Article 209 of the Constitution against him were finalised.

Mr Chaudhry said the principle of seniority for elevation of judges, supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law and independence of the judiciary should be followed, but it did not mean a judge facing charges of misconduct or poor performance, specifically the SHC chief justice, who through his registrar faced the serious allegations of appointments of paralegal staff in certain districts under his supervision, by way of Article 203 of the Constitution be elevated.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.