The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) Thursday said the PPP-led government was building momentum for a new phase of clash with judiciary by obstructing the normal working of the Supreme Court while utilising all possible means, including non implementation of the court orders.
LHCBA President Asghar Ali Gill said this with reference to the NICL scam at a press conference held at the bar’s Karachi Hall. Gill said since its inception, the government was opposed to the judiciary because it came into power on the basis of NRO. He cited the examples of sensitive cases like those related to NRO and Haj and NICL scams to prove his point and said honest officers like Zafar Qureshi, who cooperated with the Supreme Court, were either transferred or removed from their posts to maintain a hostile posture towards the judiciary.
The bar president condemned the anti-judiciary steps taken by the government and lauded the independent and fair working of courts despite negative tactics being used by the government. He said the bar associations were united with the judiciary and would always do so like they did during the lawyers’ movement for restoration of independent judiciary under Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
He warned if the government did not mend it ways and change its hostile attitude towards judiciary, they in the consultation with the general house of the LHCBA would devise and announce a plan of action against the government. He said the lawyers had given sacrifices for judiciary and they were to repeat the same against all odds. Answering a question, Asghar said it was true that the chief executive of the country had all the powers to make transfers and posting but when such decisions were executed with bad intentions the courts had right to interfere.
He said transfer of an officer, at a time when he was helping the court, was a glaring example of the anti-judiciary stance adopted by the government.