LAHORE, July 12: Members of the Sindh Bar Council refused to attend bar councils’ inter-provincial coordination committee’s meeting on Saturday in the presence of Punjab Bar Council vice-chairman Muhammad Arif Chaudhry. Later, they attended the proceedings when he left.
A meeting of the inter-provincial coordination committee had been convened by committee chairman Chaudhry Ejaz for taking up different issues. However, at the start of the proceedings, SBC vice-chairman Yasin Azad raised an objection that the participants from Sindh would not take part in the meeting in the presence of Arif Chaudhry.
Mr Azad alleged that the PBC vice-chairman had done harm to the anti-LFO stance of the lawyers by inviting the provincial chief minister to a dinner on May 30 in violation of lawyers Joint Action Committee’s policy decision. He further maintained that the other provincial bar councils had the right to object to Arif Chaudhry’s conduct and his presence in the meeting.
The SBC vice-chairman along with two members of his council —- Mustafa Lakhani, Sadiq Hadayatullah —- left the meeting, saying they would not attend it as along as Mr Chaudhry was sitting there. Pervez Inayat Malik, who was conducting the meeting, requested Mr Chaudhry to leave. Mr Chaudhry left the meeting and Mr Malik and other members of the PBC went to SBC members and brought them back to the meeting.
During the meeting, the participants condemned the LFO and the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003. The participants further resolved that the four bar councils would strictly follow the decisions of the JAC with regard to anti-LFO stance and other related matters.
Following the restoration of the 1973 Constitution, they said the superior courts judges should take oath afresh while the judgments delivered by those currently availing the three-year extension under the LFO should not be made part of the law books since “they had ceased to hold their offices”.
The participants further asked for starting a Dosti bus service between Muzzaffarabad and Sirinagar on the pattern of the Lahore-Dehli bus service. They were of the view that the matter relating to recognition of Israel should be presented before the parliament, which was an appropriate forum for deciding this issue. While giving his reaction to the proceedings, Arif Chaudhry said that he was attending the meeting as presiding officer.
“It was really disappointing to see SBC office-bearers, pursuing one-point agenda of the LFO. I prorogued the meeting in my capacity as presiding officer,” he claimed.