Daily Times

The Supreme Court (SC) granted status quo on Friday on a petition of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) secretary and additional secretary who were earlier de-seated by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on account of ‘misconduct’. A division bench of the apex court led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar heard the SCBA petition. However, a representative of the PBC believes that the grant of status quo does not means that its order against the office bearers stands suspended. SCBA President Abid Zuberi and Secretary Muqtedir Akhtar Shabbir had filed a petition in the top court, pleading against the show-cause notices issued by the PBC to SCBA officials. The association requested that the top court declare the show-cause notices null and void. According to a press release issued by the SCBA, the SC after hearing the matter at some length ordered to maintain status quo. Meanwhile, notices were issued to the respondents, which include the PBC and Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan, and the matter was fixed again for May 9. During the hearing, the SCBA stated that “illegal orders and show cause notices issued by the PBC were in contravention of the law and detrimental to the interests of justice, rule of law, supremacy of the Constitution and against the independence, dignity and honour of the judiciary and the Bar Association involving a matter of public importance for the enforcement of fundamental rights”. The association’s statement maintained that the SCBA “stood for the rule of law, constitution and welfare of the members of SCBA”. In its plea, the SCBA pointed out that Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar was also a member of the PBC and claimed that he was exerting his influence over the council to further the agenda of his political party.