SC Bar polls today

LAHORE/ ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) is going to polls today to determine the future course of the lawyers’ movement for the restoration of ‘independent judiciary’, which as an issue now stands at the crossroads with a sharp division in the legal fraternity as well as at the political level.
As per Bar rules, this time it is Balochistan’s turn to give president to this body of countrywide spread. First time since inception of the SCBA, pro and anti-movement lawyers shaped in groups, have fielded their panel of candidates on each and every seat in the elections. Professional Group, the pro-movement group, has fielded for the president slot a former Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council and its sitting member, Ali Ahmad Kurd, who has earned national and international fame for his spirited speeches during the lawyers movement, which holds its genesis in the March 9, 2007 incident when Justice Chaudhary was removed by the Military General Pervez Musharraf and re-emerged more vigorously after he was again sacked on November 3, last through a PCO along with over 60 judges of the Superior Judiciary. Against Kurd, a former Senator and six-time un-unopposed returned President of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, carrying a 40-yaer professional experience to his credit, M Zafar has been put in the arena by the anti-movement lawyers comprising mainly those who belong to PPP led by Sardar Latif Khan Khosa and the Progressive Group of former Attorney General of Pervez Musharraf’s era, ex-judge LHC and former President SCBA Malik Muhammad Qayyum, who also shares a big chunk of Arian bradery with Kurd’s support, Main Israrul Haq.
The elections result has to largely tell on the movement particularly after National Coordination Council, a forum represented by the bars all over the country to regulate the movement, has announced to observe Black Day on November 3 next by lock-up of the courts in the country. The movement is also likely to assume a more acute turn after Justice Chaudhary is bound to visit abroad to a great acclaim of the foreign academic institutions.
PPP government has taken a specific line on the judges’ issue after most of the deposed ones stand re-appointed as such it appears in no mood to put the deposed CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary and other siding him at present, back into the judiciary. Law Minister Farooq H Naek has stated on this count more than once as such, the PPP leading the coalition government in the centre, abhors any further continuation of the movement not only to prevail upon its coalition partner PML(N) on its intellect to tackle with the issue but to also nip or at least discourage any support from N-league or any other party to the movement. The N-League which pulled itself out of the coalition after PPP had thrice backed out of its written promise to restore Justice Chaudhary and others through an executive order without any intermediatory fresh oath, is fully backing the movement not only to show its commitment to the ‘principled stand’ on which it sacrificed the government in the centre but to also keep the PPP wolf away from the door. Notwithstanding the fact that N-League as principal party is holding a coalition government with PPP in Punjab yet it appears hardly turning a blind eye to its partner given the attempts it has made in the recent past to take over the province with the support of Q-League. The recent statement by PML (N) Chief Nawaz Sharif to support and participate in the movement and the most recent one by President Asif Ali Zardari to offer a political role of Justice Chaudhary speak volumes as to how distant the two stand today on an issue after they had demonstrated extreme cordiality on it and made it a bottom-line for forging a coalition government.