Lawyers’ convention urges govt to withdraw references against judges

PESHAWAR: The All Pakistan Lawyers Convention on Saturday demanded the government to withdraw the references against the superior court's judges.The convention also asked the Supreme Judicial Council to dismiss the references as these were filed on malafide intention against honest judges. Three resolutions were also passed in the convention. In the first resolution, the lawyers demanded the Supreme Judicial Council to make public all the proceedings in the references as no one knew what decisions have been taken. The lawyers' bodies said even a written press release was not issued about the proceedings.In the second resolution, the lawyers demanded there should be interpretation and limitation of suo moto powers of the Supreme Court under Article 184 (3) of Constitution. In the third resolution, the lawyers demanded that after 18th Amendment the old method for the appointment of superior courts judges should be restored and all the provisions for judges appointment under Article 175 A of Constitution should be restored.The lawyers passed a resolution for a free press and against the censorship and linked country's development with the freedom of the press. It also demanded the issuance of production orders for two arrested MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir. The convention was held at the PHC building. Lawyers’ leaders from all over the country participated in it. Vice-Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council Amjad Shah, Chairman Executive Committee Pakistan Bar Council Muhammad Idrees, Peshawar High Court Bar Association President Abdul Latif Afridi, senior lawyer Qazi Muhammad Anwar, former presidents of Supreme Court Bar Association Hamid Khan, Yasin Azad and Ali Ahmad Kurd addressed the lawyers’ convention.Amjad Shah said all institutions should work within their constitutional ambit. He said sanctions have been imposed on the media. People would get authentic information only when there is a freedom of the press, he added. The PHCBA President Abdul Latif Afridi said the references against judges were filed on malafide intention and that was why legal fraternity across the country was against the references.He said that lawyers’ grand alliance was not against the government but against the references filed on malafide intention.Hamid Khan said the convention is the start of the lawyers' movement and the next convention would be held in Quetta. He said if the lawyers had taken a stand on the removal of former judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, today the government would have thought about the consequences for bringing such references against the honest judges.A rival lawyers’ group mostly consisting Insaf Lawyers Forum also held a lawyers’ convention in Peshawar in support of the presidential references against the judges.

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