LAHORE: The Lahore Bar Association (LBA) on Thursday staged a rally against the 27th Amendment, which created the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), calling it a threat to judicial independence. The protest began at Aiwan-i-Adl and moved toward Charing Cross, where members of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) joined in. Both bar bodies are currently led by the Hamid Khan-backed professional group, which strongly opposes the amendment.
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In contrast, the Ahsan Bhoon-led Asma Jahangir group — a major faction within the legal community — has welcomed the amendment and expressed support for the newly established FCC, highlighting a visible divide among lawyers.
During the rally, participants chanted slogans and carried placards condemning the amendment. LHCBA president Asif Nissoana and LBA president Mubashir Rehman led the march, terming the move an attack on judicial independence. Rehman declared that a new lawyers’ movement had begun, vowing to hold rallies every Thursday until the amendment is withdrawn.
Addressing the gathering, the LBA president said the protest had sparked a “ray of hope” within the legal fraternity. After a brief sit-in at Charing Cross, the demonstrators dispersed peacefully, while anti-riot police remained deployed on Mall Road to maintain order.
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Earlier in the week, a lawyers’ convention formed an action committee, which resolved to hold weekly rallies against the amendment.