LAHORE – Representatives of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) have condemned some Karachi-based lawyers’ representatives’ statements against SCBA President Asma Jahangir. “Asma Jahangir is the true voice of legal fraternity and fighting for the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution,” said a joint statement issued by SCBA Punjab vice President Malik Zubair Khalid, PbBC Vice Chairman Lehrasab Khan Gondal, Ahsan Bhoon, Ramzan Chaudhry and Azam Nazir Tarar and LBA President Shahzad Sheikh. They regretted that some lawyers from Karachi-based group assumed themselves to be the whole community’s leaders.
They said the legal community was concerned about the Supreme Court’s judgement that declared the parliamentary committee’s refusal to extend six additional judges’ terms of office. They said the judgment was contrary to the letter and spirit of the 19th amendment which was unanimously passed by the parliament. They warned the lawyers who, they alleged, were trying to vilify other senior bar office bearers, to cease such misbehaviour and not play for their ‘ill motives’ into undemocratic forces’ hands. Asma Jahangir’s supporters said state’s each organ should work according to its legal framework and the organs who are meant to preserve the constitution should not mutilate the same under the garb of interpretation.
