ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the elected bodies of legal fraternity, have formally endorsed the establishment of a Federal Constitutional Court.
In a joint statement, the two bodies said certain political groups were attempting to create rifts within the legal community.
The statement was jointly issued by PBC Vice Chairman Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warriach and SCBA President Haroonur Rashid.
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They noted that unelected individuals were issuing statements aimed at harming the democratic system, adding that remarks made by unelected figures were strongly condemned.
“We strongly reject and condemn such statements issued by the non-elected people and assure that their futile exercise will soon be rendered ineffective,” the statement said.
According to the joint statement, only the Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association are authorized to issue statements on national matters.
“We, the elected representatives, want to make it explicitly clear that the PBC and SCBA, being apex bodies of the legal fraternity, were only supposed to issue statements on behalf of the institutions on national issues,” it stressed.
It clarified that individual or minority opinions do not represent the broader legal fraternity. The amendment, they said, would ensure equal provincial representation and allow constitutional and political issues to be heard effectively.
The statement emphasized that cases of citizens would be scheduled and decided promptly in the Supreme Court. It added that both bodies were closely monitoring matters such as judicial appointments, and if needed, concerns and objections would be expressed through decisions and resolutions of their general houses. The joint statement reaffirmed that the legal community has always stood for judicial independence, the rule of law, and the supremacy of the Constitution.
