PESHAWAR, Nov 5: Endorsing the Supreme Court Bar Association’s stand on the enhancement of the retirement age of judges of the superior court, the NWFP Bar Council has asked the government to undo all undemocratic and unconstitutional amendments imposed through the Legal Framework Order.

A general body meeting of the council, presided over by its vice-president, Shoukat Ali Khan, was held at its head office two days back, to discuss the position adopted by President, SCBA, Hamid Khan, on the recent amendments in the 1973 Constitution through the LFO, especially the increase in the retirement age of judges.

The meeting unanimously passed a resolution and endorsed Hamid Khan’s stand before the Supreme Court. It was decided that the council and all the lawyers in the province stand by the president, SCBA.

The meeting demanded of the government to undo all the unconstitutional amendments. The council further resolved that the judiciary has been deprived of its credibility and has been further undermined by enhancing the age of retirement of its members.

The meeting was attended by 17 members of the council and was addressed by the president, Peshawar Bar Association, Sher Afgan Khattak, Said Rehman Khan, Riaz Ahmad Khan, Fida Gul, Qaiser Rasheed and others. The speakers regretted that the present government had been weakening the institution of judiciary by introducing unnecessary amendments.

The speakers said that through the LFO the basic structure of the constitution had been changed. They said that first junior judges were elevated to the Supreme Court and now with the enhancement of the retirement age the judiciary’s image has been tarnished further.