In recent development more than 1300 lower court judges across Punjab have submitted resignations to show solidarity with the District and Sessions Judge Justice Zawwar A Sheikh as the bar-bench rift continues. The resignations were submitted after a meeting of Session Judges. It was decided in the meeting that judges across Punjab would resign in support of Justice Zawwar.

However, according to the Punjab Bar Council, being civil servants, the judges were not allowed to set up an association [trade union], and hence they should be sacked.

Leading and prominent lawyers Athar Minallah, Dr Khalid Ranjha and Ali Ahmed Kurd criticized Chief Justice Khawaj sharif, they were of the view  that Chief Justice Lahore High Court Khawaja Sharif should accept the responsibility and resign.

According to media reports, addressing a meeting of Lahore High Court Bar Association, Kurd maintained that the issue of transfer of D&S;Judge Zawar Sheikh has been rearing its head for the last three months, adding that had it been heeded, it would not have snowballed into a serious Bar-Bench row. Rapping Justice Khawaja Sharif, if he had scruples, he would have come to Aiwan-e-Adl on foot to save the black coats from police highhandedness.

Meanwhile, the lawyers of Lahore are observing a black day against police torture and are also pressing the Lahore High Court to transfer District and Sessions Judge Zawwar.

Related articles on LUBP:

The unruly lawyers, for sale judges and the politics of briefcases – by Sikandar Mehdi

No entry for CJ Khwaja Sharif et al

A critical view on the dogfight between lawyers and judges in Lahore – by Sikandar Mehdi

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