The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) would launch a movement against the 26th Constitutional Amendment, IHCBA President Riasat Ali Azad said on Tuesday.

“We reject this amendment and we will oppose it,” he said while appearing on Spotlight with Munizae Jahangir which was aired on Aaj News.

Azad, who was part of the lawyers’ movement in 2006-07, opposed the way the amendment bill was presented in the august house. He said that only four leaders delivered speeches when the bill was tabled in the National Assembly and no one gave any output or raised questions over it.

“I think this is shameful the way it was passed. Did Parliament follow House rules?” he said and asked whether every lawmaker in the House was given the bill to give input.

The IHCBA went on to describe it as the ruling coalition’s effort to “take revenge from the judiciary” for the indictments against them in the past.

He added that how can the Special Parliamentary Committee can judge the competence of judges. “The judiciary was buried.”

Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Yaseen Azad, who joined the show via video link, welcomed the amendment as he lamented that there was no merit in the judges’ appointment in the past.

Another guest on the show, senior lawyer Hina Jeelani said that her concerns were related to the transparency related to the bill as to why it was passed in haste.

She lamented reports related to coercion, saying that if such reports are true the Senate chairperson and National Assembly speaker should investigate them.

Jeelani was not opposed to the addition of lawmakers’ role in the judges’ appointment, however, she was concerned about the in-camera meeting.

“We don’t know what criteria the Judicial Commission of Pakistan and the Special Parliamentary Committee will follow for the selection of judges,” she said and added that such selections occur through an open debate. Jeelani added that the evaluation criteria should also be set and informed to the people.

She went on to add that there was confusion related to the constitutional bench as to who would form it and what would be the standard.