KARACHI: The Sindh Bar Council (SBC), the top provincial body of the legal fraternity, on Monday urged bar associations and bar councils across the country to take immediate steps to check developments which create obstacles in the path of democracy.

Addressing a press conference, SBC vice chairman Salahuddin Khan Gandapur and other lawyers said that the SBC, Sindh High Court Bar Association and Karachi Bar Association were deeply concerned over many recent developments that posed a serious threat to the supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law in the country.

`We consider it imperative for har associations and bar councils throughout Pakistan to take immediate and resolute steps to check such developments,` Mr Gandapur said.

SBC leaders said that there were certain issues which must be discussed and addressed forthwith.Talking about these issues, Mr Gandapur asked whether constitutional organs must remain within their constitutionally prescribed limits and whether it was appropriate for the Chief of the Army Staff to call for the reversal of the 18th Amendment.

Similarly, the SBC leaders also asked if the judiciary should remain focused on its constitutional role of dispute resolution and enforcement of rule of law.

SBC vice chairman asked if `making unnecessary speeches, comments and engagement in excessive judicial activism drags the apex court into the politicalfray and creates controversy and invites public and political response, which, in long run, is more harmful for the prestige, dignity and public perception of the judiciary`.

The SBC demanded of lawyers` bodies to discuss whether the banners and posters that appeared in all overthe countryinfavourofthe serving army chief and now in favour of the Chief Justice of Pakistan added any prestige to their respectiveoffices or actually reduced them to political or cult figures.

They further asked whether the recent emergency of the petition challenging the appointment of Justice Qazi Faez Isa was a mere coincidence or an attempt by non-democratic forces to intimidate independent judges and linked to his report in the Quetta carnage case as well as his orders and observations made in Faizabad dharna case regarding the performance of intelligence agencies and other state functionaries.

The SBC leaders also called in question the developments in the recent Senate elections and asked whether the twists and turns in the upper house elections should be thoroughly investigated to ensure that the democratic process remained free and fair.

They said that the SBC would hold general body meeting soon in all district headquarters of bar associations in order to answer these questions and to decide the appropriate stance and cause of action.