ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: While some lawyers were irked by the uncharitable remarks of Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry over the credibility of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and demanded that the apex court take notice, others accused the incumbent leadership of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the SCBA of becoming a tool in the hands of political parties.

The SCBA has, over the past few days, issued multiple statements warning the government not to create hurdles in the way of voting on the no-confidence motion against the prime minister and avoid a public gathering in the vicinity of the Parliament House.

The association has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court, urging the latter to direct all the state functionaries as well as stakeholders to allow peaceful execution of the proceedings on the no-confidence vote against the prime minister in the National Assembly, anticipated to be held on March 28, and prevent a possible “anarchic situation” that could result from the government and opposition clashing with each other.

Taking up the petition on Thursday, a five-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, also heard the attorney general’s arguments on the presidential reference seeking the court’s opinion on the issue of lawmakers’ defection. Federal ministers Asad Umar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry and others were present inside the courtroom.

Bhoon terms Fawad’s attitude ‘immature’; opponents accuse PBC, SCBA leaders of toeing ‘political party’s agenda’

After the proceedings, Mr Chaudhry, while addressing the media, censured the SCBA for filing the petition. He called the bar association “a subsidiary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)” and urged the PBC to take strict notice of the measures taken by the SCBA.

Taking exception to the minister’s outburst, SCBA president Ahsan Bhoon termed Mr Chaudhry’s attitude “immature” and “non-serious” and said that it was ironic that a federal minister could not show grace and sanity.

PBC member Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, however, condemned the minister’s statement. Tarrar, who was elected as senator on a PML-N ticket, urged the Supreme Court to summon Mr Chaudhry for denting the reputation of the lawyers’ body. He claimed that the information minister was trying to politicise the SCBA’s petition by making such allegations against it.

‘Tools of political parties’

On the other hand, office-bearers of different bars belonging to the Hamid Khan-led Professional group, an opponent of the Ahsan Bhoon-led Independent group, seemed to speak in unison with the information minister, accusing the incumbent leadership of the PBC and SCBA of becoming a tool in the hands of political parties.

The Independent group, also known as the Asma Jahangir group, enjoyed a majority in the PBC.

Speaking at a press conference in the Karachi Shuhada Hall of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, they said the two top bars had been toeing agendas of a specific political party. PBC members Shafqat Chohan and Maqsood Buttar and Lahore Bar Association president Rao Sami were among the main speakers.

They primarily criticised the SCBA for filing petitions in the Supreme Court to protect the interests of political parties. They said the SCBA leadership had been misusing the platform of the bar and the mandate of the legal fraternity.

They urged the PBC and SCBA representatives to stop using their offices for the agendas of political parties, and instead serve the legal community.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2022