Balochistan lawyers in Pakistan announce court boycott over alleged recruitment violations
The Bar Council of Pakistan’s Balochistan province announced a province-wide strike and boycott of courts for Monday. The reason cited was alleged irregularities in the recruitment of staff for the Balochistan High Court and district courts, Dawn reports.
Voice messages
The council condemned alleged voice messages attributed to the registrar of the Balochistan High Court. According to the bar council, they were allegedly sent to district and sessions judges, as well as other officials, in connection with the recruitment procedure.
The council described these messages as unjustified interference in judicial administration and said they cast doubt on the transparency of the selection process. The organization claims that the messages instructed judges not to announce recruitment results and to submit candidates’ test papers, lists and other materials to the High Court administration for preliminary review.
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Council’s demands
In the council’s view, such instructions raise questions about the lawful authority of the relevant selection committees under Rules 7 and 10 of the Balochistan Judicial Staff Service Rules 2021. The organization also stated that it had previously monitored recruitment procedures in the High Court and district courts and had expressed concerns over alleged irregularities and corruption.
The Bar Council demands the immediate suspension of the ongoing recruitment at the Balochistan High Court and all district courts, as well as an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the entire procedure.
