LAHORE: Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Asma Jahangir said on Friday that after the Panama case verdict the judiciary had entered a blind alley but lawyers would take it out with dignity.

She said they were not scared of the judiciary, civilian rulers or military dictators as lawyers always spoke for the supremacy of law.

She was speaking at a ceremony hosted to declare the candidature of Pir Kaleem Khurshid for the SCBA president slot. Elections will be held in October.

Ms Jahangir said that criticising judgments was the fundamental right of lawyers and citizens. She said the lawyers wouldcriticise wrong decisions by the judiciary from the time of the former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to date.

She reiterated criticism was the right but lawyers would not accept any hooliganism in the name of criticism. She also criticised the incumbent SCBA body, saying it had failed to take any measure for the welfare of lawyers.

She said the incumbent cabinet also failed to make any progress on the project of lawyers` housing scheme in Islamabad.

She said taking funds from the government was the right of bar associations.

Ms Jahangir also called for reforms in judges` appointments and said it should not be like induction of a political cabinet.