LAHORE: The legal community in Lahore is divided over the Supreme Court Bar Association’s (SCBA) decision to file a case challenging former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s lifetime disqualification.
On Tuesday, conflicting news conferences were held inside the Lahore High Court premises due to an internal divide within the fraternity over the petition.
LHCBA Secretary Khawaja Mohsin Abbas, Finance Secretary Faisal Touqeer Sial, LBA Vice President Ehsan Nawab, and other bar representatives led a news conference in support of the petition.
LHCBA President Maqsood Ahmad Buttar, Vice President Mudassir Abbas Maghiana, and LBA President Rao Sami, on the other hand, led a press conference against the SCBA’s plea.
“It looks that the SCBA is following someone’s special agenda,” said LHCBA President Buttar. The legal community was opposed to such a move, which was motivated by vested interests. It’s a personal decision, and no one is behind it.”
“If the SCBA does not drop its petition, the attorneys will take this subject to the Pakistan Bar Council, and subsequently a countrywide lawyers’ convention would be organised to protest this decision,” he said in response to a question.
“Challenging it is not solely a matter for the SCBA; the lifetime disqualification must be challenged by political parties.”
“Lawyers should prefer to handle their community’s problems rather than cleaning others’ clothing,” former LHCBA president Shafqat Chohan said.
If the petition is not dropped, he said they will raise their voices across the country.
“The SCBA is an independent organisation, and it can take the choice to submit a petition against Nawaz Sharif’s lifelong disqualification,” LHCBA Secretary Khawaja Mohsin Abbas stated.
“Holding a news conference without taking the rest of the members into confidence is similar to imposing an individual narrative,” the secretary stated of Buttar.
They will defend the SCBA act, he said, because it “did what needed to be done in accordance with the law.”
“The SCBA does not follow anyone’s agenda,” he added, “but those who organised a news conference against the SCBA’s move are clearly working on a certain goal that is contrary to moral standards.”
Both the president and the secretary of state insisted that their versions of events were correct.
The Supreme Court turned down the SCBA’s suit challenging parliamentarians’ lifetime disqualification under Article 62 (1) (f) of the Constitution on Tuesday.
The SCBA constitution petition was returned with various objections by the SC registrar’s office.
The registrar’s office reportedly indicated that the case had already been resolved by a five-judge bigger bench. Similarly, the petitioner’s locus standi was a point of contention.
