Tag: SCBA

  • SCBA asks top court to reconsider allowing Ahmadis worship even within private places

    SCBA asks top court to reconsider allowing Ahmadis worship even within private places

    The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has called on the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reconsider its ruling regarding Ahmadis’ right to worship within their own worship places in the infamous Mubarak Sani case.

    In February 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that Ahmadis, while declared non-Muslims, retain the right to profess and proliferate their religion.

    The SCBA lauded the top court for declaring the minority non-Muslims but asserted that they shouldn’t even be allowed to pray privately as well because it “contradicts Islamic principles, the Quran, and Sunnah.”

    Journalist Hasnaat Malik posted about this development on X, highlighting the recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the SCBA and DHA for developing the Park Road Housing Project.

    The majority of social media reactions condemned the stance taken by the bar association.

  • ‘Fawad Chaudhry’s face shouldn’t have been covered’: PML-N’s Malik Ahmad Khan

    ‘Fawad Chaudhry’s face shouldn’t have been covered’: PML-N’s Malik Ahmad Khan

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Malik Ahmad Khan has said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry should not have been presented in court with a white cloth covering his face.

    “If any kind of brutality happens with Fawad, I will condemn it. If due process is not followed, or in case of mistreatment, I will be the first one to [protest]. His face shouldn’t have been covered yesterday. They should have presented him in court openly,” said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader while addressing a press conference on Thursday.

    However, Malik believed that Fawad should not have threatened the Election Commission and their families. He said that his relationship with Chaudhry spans 30 years. “The one who threatened the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) isn’t the Fawad I know,” said Malik Khan.

    Former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar tweeted that such actions by the ECP will damage the remaining reputation of the institution.

    Former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail also spoke up, tweeting, “Fawad should not have been arrested and handcuffed.”

    Stating that Chaudary was wrong to threaten ECP officials and families, Miftah said he should have instead been served a notice. “IK was wrong to jail us for months without charge only—-because we opposed him.”

    Former Chairman Senate, Mian Raza Rabbani, said that the Chaudhary’s arrest under section 124A, PPC, 1860, for sedition is unwarranted.

    The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), deploring the continuous use of archaic, colonial laws against sedition by successive governments against their political opponents, said that Fawad Chaudhry was the latest in the series.

    “The charges must be dropped immediately, and the government of the day must act more responsibly,” the human rights watchdog has stated.

    Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) also strongly condemned Fawad Chaudhry’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.

    SCBA termed his arrest a classic example of abuse of power and political victimisation.

  • ‘Law and order situation in KP alarming’: Politicians and journalists condemn Senior Lawyer Latif Afridi’s assassination

    Former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and renowned jurist Abdul Latif Afridi has been assassinated on Monday in a firing incident inside the Peshawar High Court bar room.

    Despite the regular tight deployment of forces at the entrance of the high court, the incident took place when Latif Afridi was sitting with other lawyers in the bar room when a gunman opened fire at him.

    According to Geo News, the lawyer was shot six times. Latif Afridi was 79.

    The assailant is currently in police custody. “The police have arrested the accused and identified him as Adnan Afridi,” the officer said, revealing that the attacker was related to the slain jurist. Adnan is the son of Judge Aftab Afridi who was killed in 2021.

    It is pertinent to mention that Latif Afridi was acquitted in the murder case of Adnan’s father.

    In 2021, the judge was attacked as unknown assailants opened fire on his car. However, Latif, the then-SCBA president, had denied his involvement in the incident and assured his full cooperation in the investigation.

    A few media reports have said that the police have termed the murder a matter of personal enmity between the two families while further investigations are underway.

    However, several politicians and journalists came forward to condemn the attack.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow and grief over the “brutal killing” of the senior lawyer.

    “I pray that the bereaved family bear this loss with fortitude. The worsening law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is alarming,” the PM noted, adding that the provincial government should take immediate measures in this regard.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan also expressed his condolences and prayers.

    Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari condemned the murder, calling Latif a strong supporter of democracy and a staunch opponent of extremism.

    Other politicians also condemned the tragic episode.

    Similarly, lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir, Journalist Asma Shirazi, and others expressed grief at the killing.

  • PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq appointed as the new law minister

    PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq appointed as the new law minister

    Ayaz Sadiq, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and incumbent federal minister for Economic Affairs, has been appointed as the new Federal Minister of Law and Justice.

    In an official allocation notice, it is stated, “In terms of rule 3(4) of the Rules of Business, 1973, the Prime Minister has been pleased to allocate the portfolio of Law and Justice to Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the federal Minister for Economic Affairs, with immediate effect.”

    The development has come a week after the unexpected and dramatic resignation of Azam Nazeer Tarar as the law minister.

    Sadiq began his career with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and joined PML-N in 2001. He has been elected twice for the slot of National Assembly (NA) speaker. He was also the acting President of Pakistan in 2014.

    Azam Nazeer Tarar steps down as law minister, citing ‘personal reason’

    On October 24, Federal Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar resigned from his post for “personal reasons”.

    In his resignation letter, addressed to President Dr Arif Alvi, Tarar wrote: “I have had the great honour and privilege to serve my country as the Federal Minister for Law and Justice under the leadership of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”

    Citing the reason for his resignation, the PML-N leader said, “Due to personal reasons, I am unable to discharge my duties as the federal minister”.

    “Therefore, in terms of Clause (3) of Article 92 of the Constitution of the Republic of Pakistan, I hereby resign from my office,” his resignation letter added.

    Prior to this, Tarar supported Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial’s nominations of junior judges for elevation to the Supreme Court on the instructions of the federal government.

    However, it was being speculated that he was not comfortable with the government’s decision, therefore, he decided to tender his resignation, reports Express Tribune.

    Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Ahsan Bhoon welcomed Tarar’s resignation. He said that Tarar showed loyalty to the party by following the government’s instruction, but he stood with the bar by resigning.

    Moreover, some media reports said that some powerful circles were upset at the sloganeering during the Asma Jahangir Conference the other day, in his presence. This resignation is seen in the context of that episode.

    Tarar is a senior PML-N leader, a lawyer, and a bar representative who assumed the responsibilities of Federal Minister for Law and Justice in April 2022.

  • Regulate CJ’s powers to constitute benches, say lawyers

    Regulate CJ’s powers to constitute benches, say lawyers

    The legal fraternity on Wednesday demanded the regulation of the exercise of jurisdiction of the Supreme Court (SC), particularly ending the sole discretion of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) in the constitution of benches and fixing cases.

    The request was made in a joint meeting of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Pakistan Bar Council (PBC).

    The meeting emphasised its demand that the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) immediately amends its rules to allow nominations for judicial appointments to be initiated by any member of the Judicial Commission rather than the chief justice alone (which is even otherwise violative of Article 175-A of the Constitution) and, moreover, to frame fair, transparent and objective criteria and procedures to gauge the suitability of prospective appointees.

    Moreover, they demanded that Article 184(3) of the Constitution be amended in order to provide one right of appeal. They asked the federal government to immediately withdraw the curative review filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

    SCBA President Ahsan Bhoon in a press conference said that the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary was not a matter of election, adding that the chief justice of Pakistan and members of the Judicial Commission should strictly adhere to the principle of seniority.

    Govt to withdraw review petition against Justice Qazi Faez Isa

    The federal cabinet on July 27 decided to withdraw the curat­ive review petitions filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

    The cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, observed the action taken against Justice Isa by the Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was through “unfair use of authority”.

    An inquiry committee was constituted, which includes Minister for Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for National Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema and Minister for Education Rana Tanveer.

    The committee, after an assessment of the review petitions filed against Justice Isa, would present a report to the cabinet.

    Justice Faez Isa advised CJP not to bulldoze the due process of judges’ appointment

    Justice Qazi Faez Isa advised Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial not to bulldoze the “due process” for the appointment of more than one-third of the total number of judges in the apex court.

    In a letter written to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), Justice Isa said that it was surprising that the JCP’s meeting had been convened to consider the appointment of five SC judges during summer vacations. It is pertinent to mention here that JCP is headed by CJP Bandial.

    “When availing of annual leave no meeting of the JCP was scheduled but as soon as I left Pakistan the CJP decided to hold two meetings of the JCP to consider appointments to the Sindh and Lahore High Courts, and now a third unscheduled meeting of the JCP is to be held during the summer vacations of the SC. The summer vacations of the SC were notified by the CJP himself, and then these were gazetted in the Official Gazette. If the CJP renders his own notification utterly meaningless then let him first withdraw it, instead of violating it,” wrote Justice Isa in his letter.

    “It suggests that the CJP does not want me to be physically present, which is illegal and unconstitutional.”

    Justice Isa said that the matter of appointing judges to the superior courts requires utmost care and due deliberation as it is a delicate matter.

    Addressing the CJP, the judge said: “Please do not ridicule the JCP and your nominees by contravening the Constitution. Restricting the JCP to consider only the CJ’s pre-selected nominees is inappropriate. The JCP deserves to be treated with respect and consideration by its chairman.”

    Justice Isa stressed the need that “all appointments must be made in accordance with the Constitution, on the basis of a predetermined and non-discriminatory criteria. And above all without any impression of favouritism. The Constitution does not grant the CJP any powers additional to those of the other members of the JCP; the CJP is only designated as the Chairman of the JCP.”

    JCP meeting underway to discuss CJP Bandial’s five nominees for elevation to SC

    JCP meeting is underway to discuss CJP Bandial’s five nominees for their elevation to Supreme Court. Justice Isa is attending the meeting from Spain and Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar is participating from the USA.

  • CJP Bandial to hear petition seeking SC’s involvement to prevent ‘anarchic situation’ ahead of no-trust vote

    CJP Bandial to hear petition seeking SC’s involvement to prevent ‘anarchic situation’ ahead of no-trust vote

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) will shortly begin hearing a petition filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), urging the court to direct a peaceful execution of proceedings for the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Munib Akhtar are scheduled to start hearing the petition at 1pm on Saturday.

    The plea filed by SCBA with the Supreme Court on Thursday said that circumstances involving a confrontation between the government and the opposition could trigger an “anarchic situation” in the country.

    “It is evident from the political history of our country that preventing the constitutional process from taking its course has produced dire consequence for democracy and rule of law,”said the petition.

    The SCBA sought the court’s directions for all state functionaries “to act strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the law and they be restrained from acting in any manner detrimental to and unwarranted by the Constitution and the law”.

  • PM Khan slams SCBA for ‘supporting criminals, fugitives’

    PM Khan slams SCBA for ‘supporting criminals, fugitives’

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Tuesday slammed the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) over its decision to file a petition against lifelong disqualification.

    PM Khan said that one of the leading lawyers’ bodies in the country has gone to court for a “thief” who ran to London by “lying”.

    PM Khan, without taking the name of former PM Nawaz Sharif, said, “If this is how things are, then what is wrong with stealing?”

    “They [SCBA] are asking the court to give him [Nawaz Sharif] one more chance. SCBA’s next petition should be to open [the doors] of all the jails,” said PM Khan while addressing the launch ceremony of the Sehat Insaf Card in Bahawalpur.

    Referring to the criminals who were behind bars, the premier said: “If you don’t see the evil in it, then why are these poor souls behind bars? First, let them out… The next petition should be to open all jails and free all those people who have been imprisoned for theft.”

    PM Khan further said that only the powerful get away unpunished. “They can do whatever they want. Both his sons are… living in London in properties worth billions of rupees. London is the most expensive city in Europe and their properties are located in the most expensive parts of the city.”

    “Till a nation does not unite to fight [against wrongdoing], the rule of law will not prevail. Our struggle is against bandits,” said PM Imran.

    When asked about PM Khan’s comments about the petition, President SCBA Mohammad Ahsan Bhoon responded by narrating an incident about humans.

    Last week, the SCBA filed a petition against the lifelong disqualification of lawmakers and said that such a law without the right to appeal is unjust.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the result of this petition can affect the outcome of SC verdicts disqualifying Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif, as well as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) disgruntled leader Jahangir Tareen.