ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday took a critical view of lawyers’ strikes, terming it against the constitution and standards of professional conduct.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and comprising Justice Qazi Faez Esa also termed that strikes were responsible for delaying of cases in lower courts.
The bench remarked this while hearing a bail application moved by accused Waqas, who was booked in a case in June 2016, but due to strikes, the case lingered on.
Justice Qazi said, “There is no concept of a strike in Islam,” adding that this way, counsels also neglect the constitution when they boycott their appearance before the courts.
“When I was Balochistan’s chief justice, there was not a single day lawyers were on strike. For me, I feel salary for the day of strike is Haram as I [ended up] doing nothing on that day,” he added.
Justice Dost Muhammad remarked, “If we bring back twenty-years-old bar system, you will see that all things will be in order.”
Zulifqar Maloqa, counsel for the petitioner, apprised the court that after the judiciary restoration movement, some lawyers disturbed the system and adopted an unethical attitude.
To this, Justice Qazi Faez said there was a lot of difference between constitutional movement and a strike. The movement was just for the restoration of judiciary and nothing else, he added.
He said, “First of all, we all should set a good example by our deeds, and then move to others.”
Subsequently, the bench accepted the bail application of the accused against the deposit of Rs100,000 as surety bonds.
