ISLAMABAD – The roads and streets in many parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been blocked amid threat of lawyers’ strike during the Judicial Commission of Pakistan on Monday (today).
The internal and external routes of the Red Zone are closed due to law and order concerns as per the advisory issued by the traffic police in the federal capital.
The advisory said that on February 10th, in view of the law and order situation, the internal and external routes of the Red Zone would remain closed.
ADVISORY FOR TRAVELERS AND COMMUTERS IN ISLAMABAD
The Traffic Police mentioned that the internal and external routes of the Red Zone, including Serena, NADRA, Marriott, Express Chowk, and T-Cross Bari Imam, will be temporarily closed from 6:00am until further notice.
The police advised the public to use Margalla Road as an alternative to avoid any travel difficulties.
The Supreme Court Bar Association and all of Pakistan’s Bar Councils have rejected the strike against the Judicial Commission meeting in a joint statement.
It may be mentioned here that the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) will hold a meeting today, Monday, to pick eight judges of the Supreme Court amid calls for deferring the session till a decision on petitions challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi will shortly be chairing the meeting, which will consider five senior judges each of the high courts, for elevation to the apex court.
JCP is expected to select two judges each from the Islamabad and Sindh High Courts and one each from the Balochistan and Peshawar High Courts for the elevation, reports said.
Following the 26th amendment, the Commission includes CJP Yahya Afridi, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Kha, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, Pakistan’s Attorney General Mansoor Usman Anwar, a member of the Pakistan Bar Council Akhtar Hussan and members of parliament from both government and opposition sides.
Calls for Postponing the JCP Meeting
However, four SC judges – Justice Akhtar, Justice Shah, Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Athar Minallah – have penned letters, seeking postponement of the session.
They argued that the JCP meeting should be deferred until a decision on the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Bar Associations Oppose Calls for Postponing Meeting
Meanwhile, various bar associations have issued a joint statement, slamming the calls for deferring the JCP meeting.
The Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar Association, Punjab Bar Council, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, Balochistan High Court Bar Association, and Sindh High Court Bar Association put their weight behind the proceedings of the JCP.
They also condemned certain political groups for promoting the controversial agenda.
CJP Afridi chairs JCP session today to pick eight Supreme Court judges
