ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Bar Council has condemned and disapproved criticism of Special Court verdict against former president Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf.PBC Vice-Chairman Syed Amjad Shah, and Executive Committee Chairman Sher Muhammad Khan in a statement on Thursday strongly condemned and disapproved the statement that criticised the judgment of the Special Court in which Pervez Musharraf was convicted for violating Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan and committing high treason.The PBC officials were of the opinion that the statement of was clear cut violation of the legal and constitutional provisions and thus amounts to contempt of the court. If there were some flaws in the judgment of Musharraf’s case then the law had provided, procedure and proper course for agitating such flaws, if any, before the higher judicial forums by way of appeal, revision or constitutional petition but the manner and the way, in which the judgment of the Special Court has been criticised, clearly gives an impression that all the Institutions in Pakistan are subservient and have to follow dictation and there is no respect for any other forum, including the judiciary.The legal community is also of the view that the attitude adopted by the federal government, its ministers, law officers and specially the Attorney-General for Pakistan, also confirms that the party in power has been installed that’s why they are also criticising the judgment in the same tune and tenor, the statement said.We therefore, strongly condemn and disapprove the insulting attitude of the institution and the government functionaries towards judiciary and the constitutional process of dispensation of justice.Our correspondent adds from Lahore: A lawyers’ convention hosted by the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) on Thursday hailed the verdict of a Special Court in the high treason case against Pervez Musharraf and condemned criticism on it by the government and institution.The convention was held on road outside the bar building as a large number of lawyers turned up to express solidarity with their colleagues arrested in wake of an attack on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).PBC Vice Chairman Amjad Ali Shah, PBC Vice Chairman Shahnawaz Ismail, Ali Ahmad Kurd and Munir Bhatti were among the prominent who addressed the convention.Shah said Musharraf has blood of lawyers and innocent citizens on his hands. He said the institution is respectable and its responsible persons should act with great responsibility. He demanded that the statement against the Special Court’s verdict be withdrawn. He said Musharraf had the right to file an appeal against the sentence and the institution should not become party in the case of an individual.A declaration issued at the convention said the legal fraternity is united as it has always been instrumental against dictatorship and in protection of the Constitution and supremacy of law in the country. The convention condemned the Punjab Institute of Cardiology incident and held the government responsible for failing to redress lawyers’ grievances for more than two weeks prior to the December 10 unfortunate event.The government and police did not even arrest a single doctor after the incident a few weeks ago despite repeated peaceful protests by lawyers outside the IG Office and Secretariat. The lawyers who were beaten at the PIC a few weeks ago were denied justice. The convention said what happened at the PIC is an unfortunate happening. However, the way the media and government used the incident to malign the entire legal community is equally condemnable. The individuals involved in the incident from both sides should be held responsible for their own actions, and they should face the due process of law.It also condemned the government’s failure to take timely action to control the situation outside the PIC and demanded an inquiry into the incident by a judicial commission headed by a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It demanded immediate withdrawal of FIRs, release of all arrested lawyers and action against police officials involved in torturing the lawyers during custody. It said there is no personal enmity between lawyers and doctors as the bar wants to resolve the dispute amicably. The bar believes that the perpetrators of the attack should be brought to the book, the declaration added.PBC Vice Chairman Ismail announced that lawyers across the province will continue strikes till the release of their all innocent colleagues.
from The News International - National https://ift.tt/36RHukg
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