Attempt to pressurise Pakistan's Lahore HC Bar Association to speak against Justice Isa

The Lahore High Court Bar Association Secretary Khawaja Mohsin Abbas claimed on Monday that there was an attempt by Law Ministry to exert pressure on the bar to pass a resolution against Justice Qazi Faez Isa in exchange for grant-in-aid cheques.

Abbas said that he was told directly as well as indirectly by the Law Ministry that if the bar issues a statement against Justice Isa, then it will get grant money, reported Geo News.

"The bar made it clear that it will not be blackmailed," said the secretary.

He added that "a cheque of Rs 4 million was being offered in exchange for a statement against Justice Isa, but the cheque was turned down".

The secretary said that prior to this, the 43,000 members of the bar association would get grants worth "tens of millions", reported Geo News.

Earlier, Justice Isa - who is in line to become the Chief Justice of Pakistan - was vindicated of the allegations levelled in a June 2020 presidential reference that claimed that the top court judge had committed misconduct by not disclosing his family member's foreign assets in his wealth statement.

( With inputs from ANI )