ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Bar Council (IBC), Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) and the Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) have announced a strike on Monday to protest recent transfer of judges to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), calling them “unconstitutional measures affecting the judiciary and the legal profession.”
The announcement was made after a joint meeting of lawyer bodies a day after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the transfer of three judges from the high courts of Sindh, Balochistan and Lahore to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), amid opposition from five IHC judges.
Zardari approved the transfers of Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar from the Lahore High Court (LHC), the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro and the Balochistan High Court’s (BHC) Justice Muhammad Asif to the IHC. Local media reported the government was considering elevating Justice Dogar to the post of the IHC chief justice.
In a statement issued after Sunday’s meeting of lawyer bodies, the IBC said the legal fraternity of Islamabad “strongly condemns” the recent notification regarding the transfer of judges from other provinces to the Islamabad High Court, describing the move as a “direct violation of the principles of judicial independence and regional representation.”
“It undermines the autonomy of the Islamabad high Court,” the IBC said. “The legal fraternity of Islamabad ensures its commitment to resist the unjustified transfers and appointments of judges from other provinces.”
Pakistan’s constitution empowers the president to transfer a judge from one high court to another after the concerned judge consents to the decision. The president can approve the transfer after consulting the chief justice of Pakistan and the chief justice of both high courts.
On Friday, five of 10 IHC judges opposed Justice Dogar’s transfer in a letter addressed to the chief justices of the Supreme Court and high courts. The five judges said if the decision to transfer the judge was aimed at elevating him to the post of IHC chief justice, it would be a “fraud on the constitution.”
The IBC said the lawyer bodies will pursue all legal and constitutional avenues to challenge the move and safeguard the “judicial independence of Islamabad.”
“An All-Pakistan Lawyers’ Convention will be held under the Islamabad Bar Council tomorrow... to formulate future strategy,” it said on Sunday.
Islamabad lawyers call strike today over ‘unconstitutional’ transfer of judges
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Islamabad lawyers call strike today over ‘unconstitutional’ transfer of judges
- The development comes a day after Pakistan’s president approved transfer of three judges from Sindh, Balochistan and Lahore to Islamabad High Court
- Pakistan’s constitution empowers the president to transfer a judge from one high court to another after the concerned judge consents to the decision
Pakistan and Kazakhstan sign 37 MoUs to deepen cooperation, set $1 billion trade target
- Both sides agree to form strategic partnership and discuss enhanced physical connectivity
- PM Sharif says the two sides should turn these MoUs into implementable agreements
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kazakhstan on Wednesday agreed to establish a strategic partnership, signed 37 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and set a target of raising bilateral trade to $1 billion within a year, as the two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation and physical connectivity amid a push for greater regional integration.
The MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who arrived in Islamabad a day earlier on an official visit.
Landlocked Kazakhstan is seeking access to global maritime trade through Pakistan’s ports on the Arabian Sea, while Islamabad has been positioning itself as a regional transit hub linking Central Asia with South Asia, the Middle East and beyond.
“We had very useful and productive meetings since morning, and just now we have had this signing ceremony of 37 MOUs,” Sharif said while addressing the gathering at the PM House, expressing hope that the understandings would soon be converted into binding agreements and implemented.
The two countries agreed to expand cooperation across transport and logistics, including rail, road and multimodal corridors, with Sharif offering Kazakhstan access to Pakistan’s transit infrastructure and seaports as part of broader efforts to enhance regional connectivity through Central Asia and Afghanistan.
Sharif acknowledged that current bilateral trade levels remained well below potential.
“Unfortunately, our trade volume is just meager $250 million during the last year,” he said. “This does not reflect not only the strength of our friendship, but also the potential of the two countries ... Let us make a commitment that we will take up our trade volume to $1 billion in the next one year.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Tokayev described Pakistan as a key partner for Kazakhstan.
“Pakistan is a reliable and important partner of Kazakhstan in South Asia and beyond,” he said. “Our peoples are united by centuries-old ties rooted in the legacy of the Great Silk Road, as well as by deep cultural and spiritual affinity.”
Beyond connectivity, the MOUs cover cooperation in energy, agriculture, mining and minerals, pharmaceuticals, defense production, digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
The two sides also agreed to promote joint ventures, particularly in food processing, agriculture value chains and industrial production.
Investment cooperation featured prominently, including the launch of a joint investment platform involving Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth entities and Pakistani partners to identify bankable projects in mining, energy and infrastructure.
The talks also addressed collaboration in education, science and culture, with both sides agreeing to expand academic exchanges, institutional linkages between universities and people-to-people contacts through cultural and sporting initiatives.
This is the first visit of a Kazakhstan president to Pakistan in 23 years.
The two countries are also scheduled to hold the joint business forum in which more than 250 companies from both sides will come together and are expected to sign commercial agreements.
