Gilgit [PoGB] August 24 : A sit-in organised by lawyers outside the Chief Minister's Secretariat in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) entered its sixth day on Saturday, with bar councils calling for the immediate appointment of judges to both the top and lower courts in the region, as reported by The Express Tribune (TET).
This protest, led by the PoGB Bar Council, came amid an increasing backlog of thousands of cases and the lengthy detention of under-trial prisoners. Lawyers assert that judicial stagnation has lasted over five years, depriving citizens of their fundamental right to justice. Central to the crisis is the Supreme Appellate Court of PoGB, the region's highest judicial body, which is meant to consist of three judges but has been operating with just one for nearly five years. "This situation is essentially the failure of the justice system," stated Advocate Zafar Iqbal, President of the PoGB Bar Council.
The frustration among lawyers intensified after it was reported that the government was contemplating appointing a retired judge to fill the vacant position. The Bar Council dismissed this suggestion, insisting that appointments should be made from existing members of the legal community. Adding further significance to the protest, former chief minister Hafeezur Rehman visited the site and criticised both former and current administrations. "In civilised countries, judges are often available on weekends to guarantee justice," he remarked. "Here, it can take years before judges are appointed. What will those languishing in prisons awaiting justice do?", as quoted by the TET report.
Lawyers, with the support of the Supreme Court Bar Association of PoGB, have been boycotting court sessions for several months. Their list of demands includes the enforcement of the Lawyers Protection Act, the creation of family and consumer courts, and the separation of judicial magistrates from civil judge responsibilities. They also claim the government has reneged on a 2011 commitment to allocate land for lawyers. Civil society organisations have voiced their backing for the protest, cautioning that the gap in the judiciary could further alienate the public from the system. The Bar Council has pledged to maintain its sit-in until all its demands are met, as highlighted in the TET report.