Islamabad [Pakistan], September 28 : The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyers held protest outside the Supreme Court against the proposed constitutional court, and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Dawn reported.
The PTI protest came despite the government's recent passage of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024, which enables district magistrates to regulate and ban public gatherings in Islamabad. The PTI members, who were part of the protest included Salman Akram Raja, Shoaib Shaheen, Azam Swati, Latif Khosa, and Niazullah Niazi.
They expressed their concerns over what they termed attempts by the government to undermine the Supreme Court and curb its powers, stressing that only the apex court could ensure human rights and implementation of the Constitution.
While addressing the protest, Salman Akram Raja stated that a movement was about to begin to protect the judiciary and the country. He urged the people to come forward, warning that all the people would suffer due to the constitutional amendment, according to Dawn report.
"A black court is being established under Qazi Faez Isa. Pakistan will lose foreign funding because there will be no trust in courts," Raja said.
Azam Swati slammed Chief Justice Isa and accused him of damaging the judiciary's reputation. He said that Pakistan's former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, CJP Isa, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, and Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja "have ruined our institutions."
Swati said these individuals deserved to face Article 6, the constitutional provision for high treason. He said that PTI founder Imran Khan's statement is right that institutions had failed. He said, "You need to understand that your survival and salaries are linked to the survival of Pakistan."
Advocate Shoaib Shaheen stated that the government was considering an unconstitutional amendment to limit the authority of the apex court to the level of a district court, Dawn reported.
Advocate Latif Khosa said that lawyers stood in solidarity with the Supreme Court's Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, pledging not to let Chief Justice of Pakistan Isa "undermine the Supreme Court."
He further said, "We have shed blood for the independence of the judiciary before, and we are ready to make sacrifices again" and invited lawyers of all political affiliations to join the fight to defend the Constitution.
Lawyer Ali Bukhari said the Constitution would win and those conspiring against it would be defeated. He expressed confidence that lawyers will stop the constitutional amendment from passing in parliament.
He asked how a 'Form 47' government, which he claimed lacked public mandate, could attempt to amend the Constitution.
The protest took place despite the new legislation that enables district administrations to take strict action against unauthorised assemblies, Dawn reported.
Earlier this month, rules were suspended to enable immediate consideration of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024, which grants district magistrates the authority to regulate public gatherings in Islamabad. The bill proposes up to three years imprisonment for participants in unauthorised assemblies in Islamabad.