Lawyers are calling Pakistan Bar Councils and other provincial Bar councils touts of PDM. This rivalry between Bar council and Bar Association begins with the stay order against the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill 2023 where as Bar Association seemed to be favoring and supporting the independence of the Judiciary. Bar Councils, the regulatory body on the other hand are standing against the ruling.
Pakistan Bar Council in Joint declaration with Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Bar Council held a combined stance in the meeting held on 12th April, 2023. Pakistan Bar Council called for a protest on 13th April against the Supreme Court ruling, they condemn the move of the Honourable Supreme Court regarding the case of anulling ‘Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill 2023’ before its enactment/ promulgation, they stated that the case fixed in haste before the controversial bench. They further asserted that such conduct tend to rive the judiciary apart and stated that in Judicial history no law has ever been annulled passed by the Parliamentarians.
By calling a strike PBC along with other Provincial Bar Council, they announced a complete boycott of court proceedings throughout the Country on 13-04-2023. After which all respective Bar Councils faced severe criticism from Advocates all around Pakistan, the lawyers standing up with the Judiciary continued to practice and proceed in the court like any other day, ignoring the boycott.
Pakistan Bar Council in the feud against Bar Association had issued a show cause notice to Supreme Court Bar Association Secretary and Additional Secretary. Lahore High Court Bar Association along with other Bar Associations condemned such acts calling it political, stating that Bar councils are regulatory body and it’s not their role to involve in political matters in elected body of Bars.
This rivalry of Pakistan Bar council and Bar Association has already begin, yesterday PBC organized a LAWYER’S REPRESENTATIVE CONFERENCE OF BAR COUNCIL’S & BAR ASSOCIATIONS although its only a slogan of Bar Council which was shining in the conference Bar association members seem to be missing in the conference. An Anti-Supreme court agenda was adopted during the conference, supreme court conducts of suo moto and others were heavily criticize. Vice Chairman PBC Mr. Haroon ur Rashid said that rather taking suo moto for election suo moto should have been taken against the dissolution of KPK and Punjab Assembly.
