Lawyers flay Supreme Court decision

Published November 8, 2002

ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: The Supreme Court Bar Association will soon convene a meeting to consider the issue of withdrawal of the status of senior advocate from the SCBA president, Hamid Khan, after his statement that the bar has no faith in the judiciary after it took oath under the PCO.

Sadaqat Ali Mirza, an office bearer of the SCBA, speaking to reporters at a press conference on Thursday, said that the SCBA had highest respect for the members of the judiciary but it was inappropriate for the judiciary to attribute political motives to the bar for its principle stance with regard to the taking up of the matters of constitutional importance before the courts.

He said the bar had only asked the apex court to return its review petition and such request could not be termed as contempt of court. It was a routine with the lawyers to ask the courts not to hear the case if they had any suspicion about getting justice from the bench would not be possible, he added.

The SCBA office bearer said that the Supreme Court’s saying that the bar was criticizing its role for political and other extraneous motives, was wrong and it would not help the cause of any party.

He argued that the statement of the SCBA which was placed before the Supreme Court bench by its president was the voice of the whole lawyers community and not the whim of any individual.

He said that the whole legal fraternity was dismayed at the treatment being meted out by the apex court to its leader Mr Khan and asked the court to consider the whole matter with patience.

Mr Mirza requested the court to try to ascertain why the whole legal fraternity was against it and regretted that the honour which was bestowed upon the SCBA president had been withdrawn without citing any reason through a suo motu action.

He said the bar was opposed to such unilateral acts.

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