KARACHI, Jan 30: The Sindh High Court Bar Association has urged the government to contradict press reports that if a new oath is administered to the members of the superior judiciary, “certain incumbents” will be relieved by not being invited to take the oath.

The SHCBA managing committee, which met here on Wednesday, expressed its “grave concern” at the reports and the government’s failure to deny them. The absence of denial was giving “a wrong impression” to the superior judiciary, the legal profession and the public at large about the government’s commitment “to uphold the independence of the judiciary.”

According to a press release issued by SHCBA Secretary Yawar Faruqui on Thursday, the committee reaffirmed the constitutional position that no superior court judge could be removed from office except by the Supreme Judicial Council as declared by the Supreme Court in its judgment in the Zafar Ali Shah case. It expected the superior judiciary to “defeat any move” to unseat any of its members in violation of the judgment.