ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Cou­rt Bar Association (SCBA), in its formal meeting on Saturday, expressed serious concern and strongly objected to the smear campaign directed at the judges of the Supreme Court and the judiciary as a whole.

The third meeting of the 26th executive committee of SCBA was presided over by its president, Shehzad Shaukat, and asserted that while freedom of speech was everyone’s right, there must be limits, and engaging in a smear campaign under the guise of this freedom is unacceptable.

The house underscored that open discussions about judicial decisions should be encoura-ged, and critical views were permissible.

However, it vehemently condemned the targeting of judges and their families, deeming it intolerable.

The house emphasised the need for responsible expression of opinions, maintaining that the line between free speech and malicious attacks must be respected.

The house urged relevant institutions to take decisive and stringent action against those responsible for the unwarranted and baseless smear propaganda.

The SCBA meeting also condemned the unprovoked violation of Pakistan’s sovereign territorial limits by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives and needlessly escalated tensions between two countries.

The house commended both the diplomatic and retaliatory responses of Pakistan and the armed forces.

Specifically, the calculated and precise retaliatory strikes executed by the armed forces and PAF, targeting cross-border terrorists while ensuring zero collateral damage, were explicitly appreciated by the house.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2024