Govt to 'take' bar associations into confidence over constitutional amendments

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government has decided to ‘take’ bar associations into confidence over proposed constitutional amendments, ARY News reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

The decision has been reportedly taken to interact with the bar associations, as the lawyers’ bodies have opposed the amendments.

Minister for Law and Justeice Azam Nazeer Tarar will brief the bar associations on the proposed amendments in the Constitution of Pakistan to develop consensus, the sources privty to the development said.

On September 16, former President of the Supreme Court Bar, Hamid Khan, has announced to initiate ‘lawyer movement’ on September 19 against the proposed constitutional amendments.

Speaking outside the Supreme Court, Hamid Khan opposed the decision to establish constitutional court, saying, “If you want to build a constitutional court, you will have to go over the corpses of lawyers first.”

Khan criticized the proposed constitutional package, stating that now is neither the time nor the right environment for such amendments. He argued that introducing constitutional amendments amounts to the “funeral of the constitution.”

The former president of the Supreme Court Bar stated that lawyers have already rejected the proposed amendments, emphasizing, “No other constitutional court is necessary when the Supreme Court (SC) exists.”