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ISLAMABAD, Oct 27 (APP):The Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warraich, and the Chairman of the Executive Committee, Muhammad Yaseen Azad, have issued a joint statement clarifying the purpose of the recent amendment to sub-rule (3) of Rule 28A of the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Rules, 1976.
According to the statement, the primary objective of this amendment is to facilitate Advocate Generals and Returning Officers in conducting elections of the provincial and Islamabad Bar Councils.
It was explained that managing the entire election process single-handedly had become a challenging task for the Advocate Generals. The amendment, therefore, has been introduced solely to ensure the enforcement of the code of conduct and to prevent Advocate Generals from delegating their election-related responsibilities to ordinary lawyers.
The statement further noted that the implementation of rules had faced difficulties across the provinces, particularly in Punjab, which comprises numerous district headquarters where more than 150,000 lawyers are expected to exercise their right to vote.
To ensure transparency and smooth conduct of the elections, Advocate Generals will now be permitted to seek assistance only from law officers of the Attorney General’s Office and the respective provincial government law departments.
It was clarified that the polling process will continue to be conducted by members of the subordinate judiciary, as in the past. “Advocate Generals had no role in the polling process before, nor will they have any now,” the statement emphasized, urging all concerned to refrain from spreading baseless propaganda or misinterpreting the amendment for vested interests.
The leaders reiterated that the Pakistan Bar Council firmly believes in the rule of law, supremacy of the Constitution, and the holding of transparent elections, which are essential to the spirit of democracy. “This amendment has been made solely to uphold these principles,” the statement concluded.