Balochistan Bar Council Announces Court Boycott Over High Court Judges’ Appointment Process

Quetta: The Balochistan Bar Council (BBC) has expressed serious reservations over the process of appointing judges to the Balochistan High Court, alleging that the legal fraternity was excluded from the selection process. The council has announced a province-wide boycott of court proceedings on Monday in protest.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Balochistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Jareen Baloch said the Chief Justice had been asked to submit three names for appointment as High Court judges, but the Bar Council was not consulted or taken into confidence during the process.

He alleged that one of the nominees had been serving in the Labour Department for the past 18 years, arguing that the nomination was unfair to practicing lawyers and inconsistent with the expectations of the legal community.

Jareen Baloch claimed that the legal fraternity in Balochistan was being ignored and said nominating an individual with a long government service record instead of a practicing lawyer was unjust.

Pakistan Bar Council member Munir Ahmed Kakar also criticized the appointment process, stating that although the Balochistan High Court has 15 judicial positions, there were attempts to place what he described as “dummy” individuals in the judiciary. He urged that the independence of the judiciary be protected and questioned why the Bar Council and lawyers were being sidelined.

Speaking on the occasion, Ayaz Khan Mandokhail said the mandate of Balochistan’s lawyers should be respected, adding that public confidence in justice depends on an independent judiciary.

The Balochistan Bar Council announced that, in response to its call, lawyers across the province will boycott court proceedings on Monday as a protest against the judges’ appointment process.

The allegations made by the Bar Council have not been independently verified, and no official response from the relevant judicial authorities was included in the statement.