PESHAWAR, June 16: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council on Saturday condemned the alleged anti-judiciary campaign launched by real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and announced that lawyers wouldn’t attend the proceedings of the courts across the province on Monday to express solidarity with the Supreme Court.

During a meeting here, KPBC general body announced to stand by the judiciary and said lawyers in the province would strongly react if the government or anyone else conspired against the judiciary, especially Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Participants, 20 of the 28 elected members of the council, also condemned the role played by some media outlets in the controversy and demanded that media organisations expel the black sheep. They congratulated CJP for receiving award from the International Jurists Association in London on May 28.

Later, KPBC vice chairman Fazal Tawab Khan, executive committee chairman Naeemuddin Khan and member Habib Qureshi told a news conference that a leaked video footage of an off-camera discussion between two anchors of a television channel and Malik Riaz had exposed the conspiracy against the judiciary.

They said media had played a crucial role in the restoration of deposed judges but currently, some unscrupulous elements among them were trying to malign the judiciary.

When asked about the corruption charges levelled by Malik Riaz against Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, son of CJP, Mr Fazal said the council felt that the real estate tycoon continued to give conflicting statements and therefore, he was not trustworthy.

“First he said he was made hostage by Dr Arsalan and he was a don running the judiciary but at the same time, he said he was not provided any relief by the Supreme Court headed by Dr Arsalan’s father,” he said.

The KPBC vice chairman denied differences among lawyers on the matter and said the Peshawar High Court Bar Association had already condemned the said conspiracy and in several of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts, lawyers had boycotted court
proceedings to show solidarity with the superior judiciary.

In Mansehra, lawyers on Saturday took out a rally in support of judiciary and against the alleged conspiracy against it.

“The chief justice is the saviour of the country and is firmly confronting conspiracies. We want to convey it to him (CJ) that lawyers stand by him,” Mansehra District Bar Association president Shahjehan Swati told participants.

Earlier, participants marched through the city holding banners and placards and shouting slogans.

Also in the day, lawyers boycotted the court proceedings for the second consecutive day in support of the judiciary.

In Karak, too, lawyers on Saturday boycotted court proceedings on the call of Takht-i-Nusrati Tehsil Bar Association to show solidarity with the Supreme Court.

They pledged to foil conspiracies against the superior judiciary, especially CJP.

In Mingora, lawyers on Saturday boycotted court proceedings and took out a rally, saying they would thwart conspiracies against the Supreme Court.

Members of the Matta Bar Association also held rally in support of the superior judiciary.