Karachi [Pakistan], November 23 : Members of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) organised a demonstration on Saturday at the Sindh High Court (SHC) in protest against the recently passed 27th Constitutional Amendment, as reported by Dawn.
This controversial amendment, which resulted in the formation of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), was approved by Parliament despite strong objections from the opposition. Several legal experts have also condemned it as a tactic to undermine the Supreme Court (SC) and transfer its status as the nation's top judicial body to the FCC, according to the Dawn report.
Both former and current judges, along with lawyers, expressed their dissent regarding the amendment, especially highlighting its consequences for the SC. Soon after the amendment's enactment on November 13, two SC judges resigned, citing their concerns about it. These two judges were the senior judges of the SC at that time.
The lawyers commenced their protest outside the Sindh High Court (SHC) by shouting slogans against the amendment and subsequently moved inside the high court's grounds. Following a confrontation, the police retreated and permitted the protest to persist. There were reports of minor injuries suffered by police personnel, as noted by Dawn.
The protesting lawyers accessed the Sindh High Court Bar Association's hall, continuing their demonstration with chants against the amendment and the government. Eventually, they moved their protest outside the bar after the electricity was cut off.
Last week, the KBA conducted a full-day strike in the subordinate judiciary to protest the amendment's approval and show support for the retired judges. They also held another full-day strike on Monday, during which litigants were barred from entering the City Courts and court proceedings were suspended due to the boycott, as per the Dawn report.
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