The bar in a resolution passed unanimously also urged the Chief Justice Pakistan to initiate proceedings against PHC Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth in the Supreme Judicial Council for his removal from office under Article 209 of the Constitution.
PBC member Ahsan Bhoon, Punjab Bar Council Vice Chairman Shahnawaz Ismail, LHCBA President Hafeezur Rehman, senior lawyers Manzoor Gillani and Ahsan Wyne were among the prominent who addressed the House.
The house addressed by senior bar members strongly condemned the contempt notice and demanded the PHC chief justice to withdraw the same. Mazhar Ali Ghallu, Zulfiqar Ali Dhodi, Farrukh Ilyas Cheema and Umair Gull jointly moved the resolution terming the contempt notice unconstitutional.
The speakers said legal fraternity owned remarks of its elected leader PBC Vice Chairman Shah. They said the remarks of vice chairman PBC on the recent appointment of judges in the PHC were in fact views of the whole legal fraternity.
They said the bar was the main stakeholder in the process of judges' appointment and its reports/objections on the nominees were discussed in the judicial commission. Any statement or remarks on the appointment of judges could not be treated as contempt of court.
The lawyers claimed that the PHC chief justice managed to get his blue-eyed as judge of the high court in sheer violation of merit. They said the PBC chief had been targeted for raising voice against the merit in the appointment process. The lawyers also observed boycott of courts in adherence to a call of the PBC.