Members supporting Chief Justice show majority in PBC, provincial bar councils

It appears that the group supporting the Supreme Court chief justice has a visible majority in the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) as well. This came to the fore as a group of PBC members issued a statement rejecting the joint statement issued yesterday and saying that we reject the council’s “nameless Black Day”.

PBC members Abid Zubairi, Hafeezur Rahman Chaudhry, Munir Kakar, Shafqat Mahmood Chohan, Tahir Sarfraz Abbasi, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, and Shahab Sarki issued the statement.

According to the statement, they consider Black Day an attack on the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law, and the supremacy of the Constitution.

The statement further stated that some members of the Provincial Bar and the Supreme Court Bar condemned the joint statement.

The statement said that the PBC’s joint statement is based on malice, aimed at damaging the independence of the judiciary, and the Pakistan Bar stands with the judiciary and is always striving for its independence.

According to the statement, the announcement of the All Pakistan Lawyers Conference was apparently issued under the leadership of some individuals from a particular group.

The statement of the conference is only an attack on the independence of the judiciary and the Supreme Court, the joint statement is offensive and a deviation from the Constitution.

The statement of a group of PBC members also said that only 8 out of 23 members of the Pakistan Bar were present at yesterday’s meeting, while 18 members of provincial bar councils out of 150 bar councils were present.

The statement also said that they will give a fitting response to any conspiracy against the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court that is made based on government hints.