SUKKUR, June 16: A meeting of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC) held here on Saturday under the chairmanship of its vice chairman Mohammad Aqil discussed the issue of corruption in the judiciary and expressed concern over widespread complaints about corruption in the lower judiciary and involvement of even judges in the menace.

It observed that some judges of high courts were found involved in corruption.

Office-bearers and members of the SBC, Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) and Karachi Bar Association (KBA) including Yaseen Khan Babar, Mehmood-ul-Hassan, Safdar Awan and Qurban Malano, besides senior lawyers attended the meeting.

The meeting noted that corruption in subordinate courts was rampant but the menace had made its way to high courts.

On the basis of evidences about involvement of certain SHC judges in corruption, complaints were formally made to the competent authorities but no inquiry was initiated, the meeting was told.

It observed that corrupt people were appointed and being promoted and this was the reason behind failure of efforts to check corruption in the judiciary.

After the event, SBC vice chairman Mr Aqil and KBA president Mr Hassan told the media that lawyers had run a sustained campaign for the independence of the judiciary and now when this pillar of the state had turned independent as a result of the long struggle, the judicial commission and other competent authorities must take steps to cleanse it from corruption so that justice could be provided to citizens in a transparent manner.

They claimed that officials from subordinate courts not fit for the noble job of dispensing justice were given promotion despite complaints made by lawyers and ordinary people against them.

They regretted that the evidences provided to the judicial commission against some corrupt judges were not considered.

They urged the competent authorities to ensure that posting of judges in the Sindh High Court was made on a merit basis and promotion was given only to honest judges with proven capabilities of dispensing justice in a transparent manner.

The senior lawyers also demanded holding of an inquiry into promotions made in contravention of relevant constitutional provisions. Investigations into the complaints of irregularities and corruption in the judiciary should also be held, they added.

Urging the Sindh government to appoint a suitable person as law minister, the lawyers said: “If the government continued to ignore corruption in the judiciary then the sacrifices offered by lawyers and the struggle made by the whole fraternity for the independence of the judiciary will go waste.”

They observed that the Supreme Court had played an active and commendable role in the restoration of the independent judiciary and also rooting out corruption from the higher judiciary and the country.

Through its landmark judgments, the SC also saved the country’s vital institutions from destruction and restored the image of the judiciary in the world,” they said. However, the performance of the Sindh High Court and subordinate courts still remained disappointing, they said.

They said that the SBC would again approach the judicial commission and other relevant forums in this regard.

The called for filling of vacancies in all courts, and said all appointments must be made strictly on a merit basis.

Condemning the Saturday bomb attack on a university bus killing many women in Quetta and a rocket attack on the Ziarat residency of the Quaid-i-Azam, the SBC vice chairman announced a boycott of proceedings at all courts on Monday to register the lawyer fraternity’s protest against the acts of terrorism.

High Court Bar Association Sukkur president Qurban Malano, District Bar Association Sukkur president Hadi Bukhsh Bhat and other senior lawyers were present.