PESHAWAR, June 15: Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) on Friday condemned the alleged maligning of superior judiciary through media and announced that like past the lawyers’ community would stand by the chief justice of Pakistan and judiciary.

A general body meeting of the association, chaired by its president Abdul Lateef Afridi, condemned an interview of Malik Riaz on a private television channel and termed it a planted programme aimed at defaming judiciary.

PHCBA’s vice president Babar Khan Yousafzai, its secretary general Qazi Jawad Ahsanullah and several members attended the meeting.

Through a unanimously adopted resolution the meeting vowed that the legal fraternity would not let any conspiracy against the judiciary to succeed. It was announced that they would not allow politicians, government and media to tarnish the image of judiciary.

The participants resolved that a leaked of-the-record portion of the controversial interview had clearly exposed the entire plan against the judiciary. They said that a section of media should stop airing planted programmes against the judiciary.

The lawyers’ leaders termed the press conference addressed by Malik Riaz in Islamabad a contempt of court and demanded that he should be taken to task by the judiciary. They added that the press conference was aimed at blackmailing the judiciary and pressurising judges so as to get relief in cases pertaining to his illegal activities.

It was resolved that like past when the superior court judges were restored through a historical movement, this time the judiciary would again emerge triumphant and all conspiracies against it would be foiled.

The meeting also discussed the judicial system in vogue in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and called upon the government to extend jurisdiction of superior courts to tribal areas. The participants regretted that through Article 247 of the Constitution the superior courts were barred from exercising its jurisdiction in tribal areas and as such no legal mechanism was available for the enforcement of fundamental rights there.

The meeting also discussed the annual budget of PHCBA and decided to seek members’ suggestions in this regard. It was decided to convene another general body meeting next week after receiving proposals from the members.