KARACHI: The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) announced it would continue its protest against sweeping changes to Pakistan’s constitution via a “complete strike” on Monday, as tensions persist between the government, opposition and legal fraternity over the contentious constitutional amendment.
City courts in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi remained close from Thursday to Saturday as lawyers across Sindh protested against the 27th constitutional amendment. The constitutional tweaks grant expanded powers to Pakistan’s army chief and form a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to interpret and decide cases related to the constitution, and also makes changes to the procedures for the transfer of judges. Critics argue the changes clip the judiciary’s powers as the FCC’s judges will be appointed by the government.
Opposition to the constitutional tweaks gathered steam last Thursday when two Supreme Court judges, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, resigned in protest against the amendment hours after it was signed into law by the president. State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudry on Sunday termed the move by the judges as “political resignations,” defending the parliament’s right to amend the constitution as it sees fit.
