ISLAMABAD: The Bar Association of the Supreme Court filed a request Tuesday asking the superior court to begin the hearing on a set of petitions, which challenged the submission of a reference against Judge Qazi Faez Isa, in the first week of November , instead of October 28. , when the annual SCBA elections would be over.
A court of 10 judges had decided on Monday to resume the hearing on the presidential reference on October 28, although at first they informed Judge Isa's lawyer that they would ask the president of the court Asif Saeed Khosa for the reconstitution of the entire court.
The decision to continue the hearing was made when the entire court, headed by Judge Umar Ata Bandial, was informed that Judge Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, who was not available for a hearing on Monday, would resume his duty next Monday.
On Tuesday, the SCBA filed a single page request asking the superior court to postpone the matter to a date of the week beginning November 4. He declared that the present petition under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution was pending before the Supreme Court and was set for a hearing on October 28 before the full court.
PBC warns the KP government not to modify the laws to prevent people from participating in the long march of the opposition
He informed the court that the annual SCBA elections were scheduled for October 31 and all of the Supreme Court defenders, including the petitioners' attorney in the case, would be occupied during the next week beginning October 28.
In addition, according to the request, travel conditions across the country are likely to be altered during the next week in view of the impending march in the federal capital on October 31 by different opposition political parties.
"It can be kindly noted that the present petition and several other related petitions have been submitted by the main bar associations and lawyer councils throughout Pakistan," said the request, adding that the lawyer in these cases came from different parts of the country , particularly from Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore, to appear before the full court.
Due to the disturbed travel conditions during the next week, the lawyer may not be able to travel to Islamabad to attend these cases, depending on the request.
PBC warning
The vice president of the Council of the Bar Association of Pakistan, Syed Amjad Shah, expressed concern about reports that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was considering amending the relevant laws to prevent people from going to Islamabad to participate in the long march of the opposition.
If true, this amounted to an attempt by the ruling party to deny people their fundamental constitutional right to association and protest and, therefore, very condemnable, he said in a statement.
Shah warned the government that if any unconstitutional action were taken to make a draconian law or deny people their legitimate constitutional right to protest, the legal fraternity would oppose teeth and teeth and would not hesitate to even launch a national campaign against such behavior.
He asked the government to refrain from making amendments to the laws only to create an impediment to the exercise of the legitimate right of people to present their peaceful protest through the long march, for the sake of continuing the democratic process and safeguarding fundamental rights. of the people as guaranteed by the Constitution.
Posted on Dawn, October 23, 2019
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1512364/sc-urged-to-hear-reference-against-isa-after-scba-poll