Pak: PoGB lawyers extend court boycott until March 13 over unmet demands

Gilgit [PoGB], March 2 : Legal associations in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) have declared a boycott of court activities until March 13 because their demands have not been met, notably the long-awaited appointment of judges to the GB Supreme Appellate Court, as reported by Dawn.
A joint meeting of the PoGB Bar Council, PoGB High Court Bar Association, and district bar associations, led by the President of the PoGB High Court Bar Association, Tanveer Akhtar Khan, expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of action regarding lawyers' demands, despite ongoing protests for the last five months, according to Dawn's report.
On November 29 last year, the lawyers' committee had discussions with PoGB cabinet members to address their demands and submitted collective suggestions to the PoGB chief minister for consideration. The chief minister then issued orders to respond to these demands.
The meeting criticized government's failure to carry out the directives and labeled it a failure on the part of the administration. It was unanimously decided to prolong the lawyers' boycott of court proceedings throughout PoGB until March 13, except for cases of emergency. Protests will also be organized on roadways across all ten districts twice weekly.
One of the main concerns for the legal community is the unfilled positions on the PoGB Supreme Appellate Court, which serves as the highest judicial authority in the region. The ongoing delay in filling these vacancies has resulted in nearly 8,000 pending cases, as noted in the report.
As reported by Dawn, another significant request is to extend the Lawyers Protection Act to PoGB by the federal government, which they contend is vital for safeguarding their security and professional rights.
The proposed draft for Land Reforms has faced criticism from the legal community, which has characterized it as unclear and problematic. They insisted that their recommendations should be included before it is passed in the PoGB Assembly, warning that failure to do so would infringe on the rights of residents.
They called upon the PoGB chief judge to take action in appointing judges for the vacant positions in labor, consumer, family, and anti-terrorism courts, as well as in the assistant registrar's office.
The lawyers requested the advertisement of vacant civil judge positions and demanded that the roles of judicial magistrates be distinct from those of civil judges, in line with practices in other regions of the country, ensuring that appointments are made from the legal community based on merit.