“Where media and judiciary are not free, nations are doomed,” says Riyasat Ali Azad
Lawyers will strongly protest and resist the appointment of judges from outside, says Naeem Ali Gujjar
Islamabad High Court and District Bars announce boycott of courts
Transfers are based on malice and are an attempt to create division in the judiciary, Aleem Abbasi in a press conference
Islamabad (Web News)
The three Bar Associations of Islamabad have rejected the decision to transfer judges from other high courts to the Islamabad High Court, announcing a strike for today (Monday). In a joint meeting, the three representative bar councils demanded the withdrawal of the notification transferring three judges to the Islamabad High Court. The joint statement said that the PICA Act had subdued the media, and now there is an attempt to dominate the Islamabad High Court. According to the resolution, the bar councils will challenge the notification of the transfer of the three judges to the Islamabad High Court on every forum. The meeting of the Judicial Commission for the appointment of Supreme Court judges on February 10 should be postponed. The resolution also stated that the judges’ letter from the Islamabad High Court should be honored, and the Chief Justice should be appointed from within the High Court itself. It further stated that a lawyers’ convention would be held at 11 am on February 3, with all bar councils participating in a strike at the Islamabad High Court and subordinate courts.
President of Islamabad High Court Bar, Riyasat Ali Azad, stated that the most senior judge should have been made Chief Justice, as specified in the 26th Constitutional Amendment. He also stated that the constitutional amendment was malicious in nature, yet transfers are being made. He stressed that the lawyer’s movement is still ongoing, but some individuals in power are benefiting from the situation. “Under PICA, you have undermined media freedom. Where media and judiciary are not free, those nations are destroyed,” he said.
President of Islamabad District Bar, Naeem Ali Gujjar, stated that whenever laws need to be passed or constitutional violations occur, lawyers are the ones to come forward. He added that political parties tend to forget their past when they come into power. “We stand with the judiciary and the constitution, not with any specific judge or individual. One of the three senior judges must be made Chief Justice,” he said. Naeem Ali Gujjar emphasized that lawyers would strongly protest and resist the appointment of judges from outside, and announced the strike for today (Monday). “We ask the government and opposition not to trample on the constitution and law.”
The Islamabad High Court, District, and Bar Associations have jointly announced a boycott of courts. The lawyers’ association has rejected the transfer of three judges to Islamabad by the Ministry of Law. Chairman of Islamabad Bar, Aleem Abbasi, stated in a joint press conference that representatives from the Islamabad High Court, District, and High Court were present in the meeting, where it was unanimously decided that the lawyer community would not accept these transfers. He added that these transfers were malicious and aimed at creating division in the judiciary. The lawyers strongly opposed this decision and declared a protest against it. Aleem Abbasi also announced that a nationwide lawyers’ convention would be held at the District Court G-11 at 11 am today (Monday), while lawyers in Islamabad would observe a complete strike.