The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) strongly condemned a social media campaign against the chief justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) and demanded action against those found involved in the unjustified propaganda.

The SCBA President, Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon, on Wednesday, in a statement said that unjustified and highly condemnable social media propaganda has been unleashed against Chief Justice IHC Athar Minallah for his observations made during the hearing of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022.

He said this is totally unacceptable as unknown elements with complicity and connivance of governing machinery have resorted to pass derogatory and contemptuous remarks/ statements against the chief justice of the IHC.

“The substance of such social media campaign/ propaganda proves to be a desperate effort to malign and slander the dignity of the judiciary,” he added.

He stated that the SCBA fully endorse the observations made by the chief justice IHC in the PECA Ordinance hearings, adding the Bar reiterate its full support to the chief justice and the judiciary but also repeat its longstanding stance that introduction of such “draconian law” is an attempt to cut throat [of] political opponents and to silence those who believe in freedom of speech, opinion, and expression.

“Let no one be mistaken that the legal fraternity will not allow anyone to sabotage the dignity and repute of our institutions, especially judiciary, come what may.”

He stated that in order to stop such derogatory content, the SCBA president calls upon the relevant law enforcement agencies and their cyber departments to take stern action against the culprits, so as to stop this disparaging campaign/ propaganda against the chief justice IHC and those found involved in such contemptuous campaigns must be taken to task, at the earliest.

This story was first published in Business Recorder on March 3, 2022.