ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday approved the Lawyers Protection Act which would be tabled before the federal cabinet in its next meeting.

The matter was discussed at a meeting between the prime minister and a delegation of the newly-elected office-bearers of bar councils from across the country.

The prime minister assured the lawyers that the government would hold consultations with them regarding the appointment of judges in the higher judiciary.

Regarding the demand of bar council representatives for a right to appeal on suo motu notice of the Supreme Court, the prime minister asked them to

present a draft bill in this regard. He assured bar members that the government would table the said bill in parliament.

The prime minister, while lauding innumerable sacrifices rendered by the lawyers for the supremacy of the Cons­titution and law, said the legal fraternity made a huge struggle for rule of law in the country. He said the incumbent government was striving for the resolution of the issues faced by bar councils.

Minister says coalition partners decide not to contest by-polls

Mr Sharif told the delegation that the previous government inflicted a huge loss on every sector and that the violations of the Constitution and law were also rampant at that time.

The prime minister also congratulated the newly-elected office-bearers of the bar councils.

He said the lawyers raised their voices effectively against every unconstitutional step by the previous government for which they deserved applause.

The members of the delegation apprised the prime minister of the issues confronting the Pakistan Bar Council, Islamabad High Court Bar Council, as well as the provincial bar councils. The prime minister assured them of immediate resolution of their genuine issues.

Federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Rana Sanaullah and Rana Tanveer Hussain, special assistants to the prime minister Malik Ahmed Khan and Attaullah Tarar attended the meeting.

By-elections

Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday said the coalition partners had unanimously decided not to contest the upcoming by-elections on vacant seats of the National Assembly.

Now there would be only the “fascist party” (Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf), which would contest the by-polls and return to the National Assembly, the minister said in a statement.

She said the “fascist party” was clueless about its political future. On the one hand, it had approached the courts for the approval of the resignations of its members of the National Assembly and on the other against their acceptance.

She wondered why the PTI MNAs had resigned en bloc, besides dissolving the provincial assemblies, if they wanted to contest by-elections.

The “fascist party” seemed to be in an imbroglio as it was trapped among elections, parliament and courts, she added.

The minister said Imran Khan would no more be allowed to create chaos in the country.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2023