KARACHI – Lawyers across the country have united against the proposed constitutional amendments, threatening a nationwide movement during the Karachi Bar Convention.
According to media reports, the All Pakistan Lawyers Convention was held at the City Court under the auspices of the Karachi Bar Association, protesting against the federal constitutional court and the proposed constitutional amendments.
The convention was attended by officials from the Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar, Lahore, and Balochistan High Court Bars, including former Supreme Court Bar President Munir A. Malik, Hamid Khan, Abid Zebairi, and other lawyer leaders.
Notably, no officials from the Sindh High Court Bar Association participated. Attendees included Peshawar High Court Bar President Fida Gul, lawyer leader Ali Ahmad Kurd, Balochistan High Court Bar President Afzal, Lahore High Court Bar President Asad Munzir Butt, Islamabad High Court Bar President Riasat Azad, Sindh Bar Council Vice Chairman Kashif Hanif, and Balochistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Rahib Bileedi.
The lawyers present at the convention declared the proposed constitutional amendments unconstitutional and illegal, threatening to launch a nationwide lawyers’ movement against the amendments.
Fida Gul, President of the Peshawar High Court Bar, stated that they held a convention in Peshawar, assuring that they would not allow any kind of amendment. He questioned the purpose of creating a constitutional court, asking if the intention was to establish two Supreme Courts. He emphasized that lawyers would not allow such amendments and would be willing to sacrifice for this cause.
Asad Manzoor Butt, President of the Lahore High Court Bar, mentioned that the government was establishing constitutional courts at both the federal and provincial levels, and raising the age limit for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 60 to 65 years was also inappropriate. He affirmed that all lawyers were ready for a nationwide movement.
Karachi Bar General Secretary Ikhtiar Channa criticized the current Chief Justice of Sindh for prioritizing merit in lawyers’ welfare and expressed disappointment at the Sindh High Court Bar’s officials for not attending the convention.
During the convention, a disturbance occurred over the mention of Form 47, with lawyers chanting against each other. Officials from the People’s Lawyers Forum protested the convention’s organization.
In response, the general secretary of the Karachi Bar stated that the convention was not held for any political agenda, but only to bring lawyers together.
Lawyer leader and Pakistan Bar Council member Muhammad Shafqat stated that today’s constitutional amendment may seem favorable but could become a burden tomorrow. He asserted that the Chief Justice of Pakistan was pursuing a personal agenda and warned against allowing this personal issue to play with the Constitution, as the amendment contradicted the Constitution and laws.
Former Federal Law Minister Shahida Jameel advised lawyers to tread carefully, highlighting that each had their own draft of the constitutional amendment. She questioned what would happen in case of a dispute between the constitutional court and the Supreme Court.
She also criticized the notion of appointing the first head of the constitutional court by the President, asking if this would not be considered interference. She emphasized that amendments should not be made secretly, and lawyers would not accept any amendment brought in secrecy.
President of the Islamabad High Court Bar Riasat Ali Azad asserted that no lawyer could fully accept the proposed amendment, stating that no one could file a writ against someone’s abduction in the name of security. He emphasized that this was a human rights issue and stated that a court appointed politically would also be political.
Former Supreme Court Bar Association President Ali Ahmad recalled that in 2007, lawyers were part of a movement that involved all lawyers across Pakistan, which he regarded as a golden chapter in Pakistan’s history. He mentioned their resolve to fight against military rule, emphasizing that they, too, were lawyers.
Afzal Herifal, President of the Balochistan High Court Bar, stated that they needed to fight for the people’s case and have made sacrifices for the Constitution. He urged for reasoned discussions and demanded that all drafts be shared with them.
He warned that if discussions could be held on the 18th amendment, they should be able to have similar discussions now. He warned that failure to do so could lead to civil unrest, referring to models like those of Bangladesh or Turkey. He criticized the lack of sharing of drafts even with political parties and demanded that the drafts be made public to build public opinion. He cautioned that ambiguity could lead the country towards anarchy.
