LAHORE: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Barrister Syed Ali Zafar has supported the decision of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to rule out establishment of divisional benches of the apex court. Barrister Zafar said that the basis of the LHC decision was that the independence, integrity and respect as well as efficient working of the LHC, the superior court of the province, and the administration of justice would be adversely effected and compromised if additional benches were established. He said that the civil and district courts had been established to undertake work in the divisions, while the constitutional jurisdiction and the appellate and revisional jurisdictions against the judgements of the district judges and civil courts remained the jurisdiction of the LHC. “If more benches are established in divisions, it will lead to equating the apex court with the district courts,” he said, adding that he had consulted with the senior members of the SCBA and also retired chief justices of the court who were also of the view that establishment of further divisional benches of the LHC should be discouraged. He said that the lawyers from the various divisions had genuine concerns and in order to meet those demands, LHC should have special benches representing the districts within the principal seat at Lahore so that when lawyers from different districts come to argue their cases at Lahore, they would be able to obtain a hearing of their matters before the special benches and not face the issues of delay in fixation or hearings. “This will also give a great opportunity to the lawyers from all over Pakistan to meet each other in one place, exchange views and hold dialogues with one another and thereby improve their professional integrity, acumen, knowledge and practice,” he added.