The Senate on Friday passed a resolution condemning the government’s decision to file reference against judges before the Supreme Judicial Council.
“While supporting across the board accountability, the Senate feels that these targeted reference against judges are malafied and politically motivated. They are a direct attack on the independence of Judiciary and are aimed at stifling the voices of reason, truth and justice in the highest judiciary.
The Senate expresses its full solidarity with the judiciary, lawyers elected representation and Bar Councils of the country and we are with them in this struggle,” read the resolution.
A resolution was also tabled by opposition members in the National Assembly expressing grave concern over the filing of the references.
“This House expresses grave concern over the filing of references in the Supreme Judicial Council by the government against some Honourable Judges of the Supreme and High Courts in a secretive manner without even the knowledge of the concerned Judges.
The filing of references has provoked serious criticism, caused a split in the Bar and the resignation of Additional Attorney General. There is a lingering suspicion that the arbitrary and suspicious manner of filing references before the Supreme Judicial Council linked to recent verdicts by the Honourable Judges. These references are a direct attack on the independence of the judiciary and are aimed at stifling the voices of reason, truth and justice in the judiciary.
This House expresses also solidarity with the Honourable Judges under siege, lawyers elected representation and Bars Council of the Country.
This House calls upon the government to withdraw the references against the Honourable Judges,” the resolution filed by the opposition read.
Bilawal Bhutto’s reviews:
Speaking to the media, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the government’s action against the judges.
“They [government] filed references against the judges and did not even tell them. These references were filed in secret and show the government’s intent,” Bilawal said.
He also added, the government has the same attitude that Musharraf had against the judiciary. “The government is trying to make a selected judiciary and a selected opposition and we condemn this,” Bilawal added.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also condemned the government’s action against the judges and urged the government to take back its references.
“Today the Bar Councils and representative bodies are against the action taken by the government,” Abbasi said. “The Senate has passed the resolution condemning the attack and we have filed it in the National Assembly as well.”
“We strongly condemn the references and urge the government to take them back,” he further added.
Abbasi further said, “These references were made in the dead of the night and no one knew anything about it. This action was taken to dismantle the judiciary and drag their name through the mud.”
“We stand with the legal fraternity,” he added.
