PTI Lawyers Protest Outside Supreme Court Against Proposed Constitutional Court

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyers protested outside the Supreme Court against the proposed constitutional court. The protest came despite recent legislation permitting district magistrates to regulate public gatherings. PTI lawyers warned of attempts to undermine the judiciary and urged public support to protect the Constitution.

Lawyers associated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held a protest outside the Supreme Court, criticizing the proposed establishment of a constitutional court and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, according to a report from Dawn. This demonstration occurred even as the government recently passed the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024, which empowers district magistrates to regulate and ban public gatherings in Islamabad.

Among the protesting lawyers were Salman Akram Raja, Shoaib Shaheen, Azam Swati, Latif Khosa, and Niazullah Niazi. They expressed concerns over perceived attempts by the government to undermine the Supreme Court's authority, stating that only the apex court could protect human rights and the Constitution. During his speech, Salman Akram Raja warned that a movement was about to begin to safeguard the judiciary and the nation, urging public participation to prevent the adverse effects of the constitutional amendment.

Raja described the new court under Qazi Faez Isa as a 'black court' that would erode international trust and lead to a loss of foreign funding. Azam Swati accused Chief Justice Isa of damaging the judiciary's reputation and blamed other high-ranking officials for ruining national institutions. He called for these individuals to face charges under Article 6 for high treason. Advocate Shoaib Shaheen criticized the proposed constitutional amendment, claiming it would reduce the Supreme Court's authority to that of a district court.

Latif Khosa expressed solidarity with Supreme Court's Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and vowed not to allow Chief Justice Isa to undermine the court. Drawing on their history of fighting for judicial independence, he invited lawyers from all political backgrounds to join the cause. Lawyer Ali Bukhari asserted that the Constitution would prevail against those plotting against it and expressed confidence in stopping the amendment in parliament. He questioned the legitimacy of the government attempting to amend the Constitution, given their claimed lack of public mandate.

The protest took place despite new legislation enabling district administrations to act against unauthorized public assemblies. The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024 grants district magistrates the authority to regulate gatherings and proposes up to three years imprisonment for participants in unauthorized assemblies in Islamabad.

(With inputs from agencies.)