QUETTA: The reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa in the Supreme Judicial Council is aimed at pre-empting Balochistan from getting the post of Chief Justice of Pakistan, Amanullah Kanrani, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president, said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference, he said the lawyers’ community would hold a sit-in in front of the Supreme Court on Friday (June 14) and burn a copy of the reference.

Mr Kanrani wondered why the SJC had taken up the reference against Justice Isa and ignored complaints filed against other judges.

He said lawyers would boycott court proceedings on Friday as a mark of protest against the government’s decision to file the reference against Justice Isa.

President High Court Association Muhammad Iqbal Kasi, Member Balochistan Bar Council Rahib Buledi and Asif Reki were present at the presser with Kanrani.

Mr Kanrani said institutions should refrain from confrontation in view of internal and external security threats challenging the country, “The federal government filed a baseless reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is being tipped to become the country’s chief justice within three years. We believe the move violates the constitution’s Article 10-A.” Mr Kanrani said.

He said the reference would be “a betrayal of the 60 lawyers who laid down their lives” for supremacy of the law.

Speaking about rumours of a report among lawyers, the chief of the Baloch­istan Bar Association, Asif Reki, said: “We have suspended the membership of Vice President of Supreme Court Bar Association Saleem Akhtar and other lawyers who are opposing the protest called for June 14.

“All lawyers’ bodies are united in defence of Justice Qazi Faez Isa and we will move toward Islamabad in a convoy.”

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2019