PESHAWAR: The Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Saturday announced its support for the transfer of High Court judges and urged the legal fraternity to refrain from protests in this regard.
The meeting was chaired by All Pakistan Bar Council Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee Chairman Advocate Ahmed Farooq Khattak and attended by chairmen and vice-chairmen of bar councils from across the country, including Islamabad and Azad Kashmir, as well as members Syed Mubashir Shah, Babar Khan Yousafzai, Rafiq Mohmand, Naveed Akhtar, Fazal Waheed Khan, and others.
Speaking after a meeting chaired by advocate Ahmad Farooq Khattak, the committee said that while there was no objection to transferring judges between high courts, such moves should not be made on political or punitive grounds. It emphasised that transfers should follow a transparent rotation policy.
The committee also called for equal provincial representation in the Islamabad High Court, suggesting that judges from all provinces be appointed there for fixed terms of two to three years.
Speaking to reporters, advocate Ahmad Farooq Khattak warned that any bar association calling a strike to please judges would face disciplinary action. However, he added that nationwide strikes could still be held collectively by bar councils in case of major issues affecting the legal community.
The committee demanded an end to what it described as negative treatment of lawyers by judges, including suspension of licences, imprisonment, and interference in bar council elections. It maintained that high courts did not have the authority to interfere in bar council affairs.
Among its key demands, the committee called for the power to suspend lawyers’ licences to be withdrawn from courts and vested solely in bar councils. It also proposed making two years of legal practice mandatory for appointment as a civil judge and called for greater accountability of judges, including representation of bar councils in judicial accountability committees.
The committee further stressed that retired judges should not be reappointed to public offices and that reasons must be clearly stated when a judge was removed from service, particularly in cases involving corruption.
It also highlighted the shortage of judges in high courts, noting that although 30 positions had been approved for the Peshawar High Court, several posts still remained vacant.
During the meeting, participants unanimously approved 23 resolutions, including implementation of the Lawyers Welfare and Protection Act 2023, training programmes for young lawyers, amendments to the Legal Practitioners Act 1973 to provide scholarships for senior lawyers, transparent audits of bar associations, and distribution of grants through bar councils.
The committee also called for the establishment of bar rooms in Balochistan and formulation of rules for inter-bar transfers of lawyers.
