KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar has said that being judges we may not have lived up to the expectations of the people and the colleagues and unfortunately, in recent years, relations between the bar and the bench have been strained.

“We must accept that the bar and the bench are both key stakeholders in the attainment of justice and democracy. Lack of coordination between the two not only affects them but also the entire system, therefore, we must work together to improve our relations and face all challenges together.”

This he said while speaking at the annual dinner of the Karachi Bar Association. The program was attended by Chief Justice Sindh High Court Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, Amir Saleem President Karachi Bar Association, Mumtaz Ali Mehdi Vice President, Waqar Alam General Secretary, Sabeeh Mahmood Joint Secretary, and others.

At the outset, the interim CM congratulated Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi on assuming the position of Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court. He hoped that during his tenure [Justice Aqeel Abbasi], both the bar and the bench would work together for the cause of justice and face all challenges together.

Going into nostalgia, Justice Baqar said that his association with the Karachi Bar Association spanned over four decades. “I became a member of the KBA as a young lawyer almost 40 years ago, and this bond remained intact even after I became a judge,” he said and added in 2007, during the emergency, lawyers and the KBA played an integral role in the restoration of democracy and the judiciary and their struggle bore fruit in 2009 when judges were restored.

Justice Baqar also mentioned the lawyers’ movement of 2007.  He said, “Even today, the independence of the judiciary is under threat.” He went on to say that some of the threats were external, while others were internal.

The CM said that in recent years, the composition of benches, especially in important cases, has led to polarization in the Supreme Court. He added, “This polarization has reached a level where people’s confidence in the Supreme Court has been affected, rather than reforming the composition of benches, which is the prerogative of the judiciary, parliament has had to intervene, therefore, I believe that not only the Supreme Court but all High Courts should exercise the power to allocate benches in consultation with senior judges.” He said that this would not only improve the quality of decision-making but also reduce polarization and restore people’s confidence in the judiciary.

Justice Baqar said that a delegation from the Karachi Bar Association met him - they highlighted several issues faced by the bar and requested assistance. He added that the Law Minister Omer Soomro submitted a summary requesting funds for the Karachi Bar and other bar associations. “After considering the size of the Karachi Bar Association and its issues, I decided to allocate additional funds to them,” he said and hoped that these funds would help ease some of their problems.

He said that the young lawyers face several challenges, especially due to inflation in recent years. “We will try to find solutions to their problems, I have several ideas, such as offering paid internships or traineeships in the Advocate General’s Office, Law department, or Prosecutor General’s Office.

Justice Baqar urged all lawyers, especially young ones, to improve their skills and knowledge by reading law journals and recent judgments. He read out a stanza of Robert Frost, “The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.” This means that you, young lawyers, have to work hard to achieve your culmination.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 11 2023

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