Ruckus and a total disorder was observed during the general body meeting of Rawalpindi District Bar Association (RDBA) on finalising post-Panama Papers case strategy here on Thursday.
In a new twist to the controversy about prime minister’s resignation on Panama Papers case, the lawyers belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) barred the lawyers’ wing of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to table a resolution in favour of the prime minister.
The meeting was convened by Bar President Advocate Sajjad Akbar Abbasi to discuss and hammer out a plan in wake of Supreme Court judgment in Panama case and Pakistan Bar Council meeting of representatives on May 5. All in all, eight resolutions were tabled during the meeting. Four resolutions demanding immediate resignation of PM Nawaz Sharif, while four other resolutions iterated that since All Pakistan Lawyers Representatives Conference has been convened on May 5 and it was decided that demanding resignation of PM was illegal and unconstitutional, the summoning of the meeting was a futile exercise.
Advocate Malik Arshad and Advocate Naeem-ul-Hasan presented a motion calling for lawyers’ movement aimed at PM’s resignation. When Advocate Talib Hussain Abbasi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Lawyers’ Forum came to the stage to present the resolution, opponent lawyers started raising slogans and stopped him from presenting the resolution.
The meeting was postponed till 1pm. However, when the meeting started again, opponent lawyers again created ruckus and the RDBA president has to dismiss all resolutions and adjourn the meeting.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Rawalpindi District Bar Association President Sajjad Akbar Abbasi said that lawyers from PPP and PTI after presenting their resolutions and calling for PM’s resignation made commotion when it was PML-N Lawyers turn. ‘It was agreed upon before the meeting that all parties will present their resolutions and then the bar will decide. However, lawyers from PPP and PTI started raising slogans when it was other party’s turn to present resolution. The rowdy behaviour continued and I have no other option other than to reject all the resolutions,’ he said.
‘It is yet to be seen how the divided house of country’s legal fraternity chalks out its future plan. However, one thing is for sure, the movement lacks momentum so far. Back in restoration of judiciary days, there was unanimity and cohesion among lawyers. This time around, the party affiliation has made homogenous action next to impossible,’ said Advocate Nasrullah Shah, who practices in Rawalpindi.
