LAHORE:
The legal community warned on Saturday that Pakistan “finds itself in its darkest situation”, accusing policymakers of undermining the dignity, freedom and rights of citizens.
The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) organized the All Pakistan Lawyers Convention (APLC), against the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments, at the Javed Iqbal Auditorium in the premises of the Lahore High Court.
High-profile figures from the legal community attended the gathering, including Senator Hamid Khan, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Ali Ahmad Kurd, President of the Lahore High Court Bar Association Asif Niswaana, and others.
PTI lawyers gave strong speeches.
The APLC unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the 26th and 27th Amendments and the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC).
PTI’s Salman Akram Raja highlighted widespread unemployment, a deteriorating education system and serious health problems, saying “nothing is working properly.”
He warned that Pakistan is in its “darkest moment”. He further lauded the determination of Sindh’s legal community while warning that the country is facing an unprecedented crisis on the political, economic and civil liberties fronts.
The PTI general secretary lamented that “there is no more space in this country to speak the truth”, but expressed confidence in the legal fraternity.
He criticized the government for “turning Pakistan into a prison” while criticizing progress in economic development, calling the claims “a complete illusion.”
Former vice-president of the Lahore High Court Bar Rabia Bajwa said Pakistan had reached a point where “the state institutions and the people are facing each other”, adding that two separate lists now define the country: “one published by the GHQ declaring who is a traitor, and another published by the Senate declaring who are the heroes”.
Former President of Multan Bar Association Mehmood Ashraf in his speech urged the legal community to take a stand in favor of constitutional freedoms and institutional independence.
Ali Ahmad Kurd, a veteran lawyer and former President of the Supreme Court, said that those who are currently the “occupying power” also belong to this same city – and that the citizens of Lahore know exactly who they are and under what law they claim to rule.
Senior PTI lawyer and senator Hamid Khan called a recent press conference “deeply shameful”, pointing out that generals now speak openly as if politics are part of their job.
