Lawyers in Chitral rally to express solidarity with Supreme Court judge

CHITRAL: Lawyers in Chitral on Wednesday held a rally to express solidarity with Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Abdul Wali Khan Adv addressing the rally.

The rally started from the bar room and after reaching PIA Chowk the lawyers were addressed by their representatives, including Abdul Wali Khan, Khursheed Hussain Mughal and Sjidullah advocates.

The speakers said the lawyers of Chitral would never hesitate from any sacrifice to ensure the independence of judiciary.

They said an independent judiciary was imperative for the solidarity and progress of the nation.

It may be noted that Justice Isa in a judgement on the Nov 2017 Faizabad sit-in case had issued directions to the Ministry of Defence, chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force to penalize personnel under their command found to have violated their oath by backing the participants of the sit-in staged by Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan.

About eight entities, including PTI, Ministry of Defence and railway minister Sheikh Rashid, have filed an appeal in the apex court against the judgment.

The executive committee of Punjab Bar Council recently demanded removal of Justice Isa for what it believed allegedly ridiculing the armed forces in the judgement.

However, Pakistan Bar Council and Karachi Bar Association and other lawyers’ bodies have expressed solidarity with the judge and termed the drive against the judge as an attack on independence of the judiciary.

Reporting of the rally by Bashir Hussain Azad