RAWALPINDI: Representatives of district and tehsil bar associations from across Rawalpindi division have expressed serious concern over the recent judicial appointments in the Lahore High Court, saying eligible and competent candidates from the division have been repeatedly overlooked.
The concern was voiced at an important meeting held under the auspices of the High Court Bar Association Rawalpindi. The meeting was chaired by the association’s president, Saeed Yousaf Khan, and attended by members of the Punjab Bar Council, office-bearers of various bars, and presidents and secretaries of different bar associations.
Participants condemned what they described as the continuous neglect of Rawalpindi division in judicial appointments. They said the division had contributed eminent lawyers, law officers, judges and chief justices to the judiciary, but no judge from the division had been appointed to the Lahore High Court since 2017, which they termed an injustice.
The meeting unanimously demanded that Rawalpindi division be given its rightful share and proper representation in judicial appointments. The participants warned that if the concerns of the legal fraternity were not addressed, a protest movement would be launched in a constitutional, legal and democratic manner, and its scope could be widened if required.
The meeting also approved the formation of a committee comprising senior lawyers. The committee will meet the relevant constitutional authorities, present the concerns of the lawyers’ community over the alleged neglect of Rawalpindi division in judicial appointments, and work for a fair resolution of the issue.
At the conclusion of the meeting, High Court Bar Association President Saeed Yousaf Khan and Secretary General Qasim Mehmood Malik thanked members of the Punjab Bar Council and the office-bearers of all district and tehsil bar associations for their participation, unity and solidarity.
They reaffirmed that the lawyers of Rawalpindi division would continue their struggle until they secured their constitutional rights and fair representation.
