ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) announced on Saturday that the legal community will record a nationwide protest on June 14 regarding a reference filed against senior Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
Addressing a press conference outside the Supreme Court building in Islamabad, the PBC members demanded resignations of the law minister and the attorney general for Pakistan, stating that the reference against the judge of the superior judiciary was based on ‘mala fide’ intent.
PBC vice chairman Amjad Shah clarified that the protest would be peaceful the purpose of which would be ‘to guard the essence of the constitution and preserve the supremacy of law’; he also urged the government to immediately withdraw the reference.
Branding the reference ‘erroneous’, the lawyers’ body also questioned ‘tainted record’ of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) as an authority to conduct hearings on references against senior judges.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/justice-qazi-faez-isa-says-children-spouse-not-dependent-on-him/
“Several references remain questionable and the apex court findings in regards to those have not been made public,” said Shah and added that the reference had a weak legal footing.
The lawyer shared that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), being the first authority to investigate the matter, did not serve a show cause notice to the judges, equating it to a violation.
“The reference has no merit and is based on ill-intention,” he claimed.
The PBC vice chairman also clarified that no political group compelled the community to stage a protest, adding that it is exclusively the decision of the lawyers.
