Pakistan Bar Council That Opposed Appointment Of First Woman Judge To Pak Supreme Court, 'Strongly Condemns' Hijab Judgment
The Executive Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council has strongly condemned the judgment of the Karnataka High Court on the hijab issue.
A press release issued on Wednesday states that the ruling that wearing of hijab does not form part of essential religious practice of Islam "is on the face of it against the social norms & justice".
The press release also states that the decision "manifestly failed to uphold the principle of freedom to religious practices" and that "Indian Courts should not be voice of Indian Government and should give their verdict independently especially regarding religious matters".
Earlier, the Pakistan Bar Council had vehemently opposed the appointment of Justice Ayesha Malik to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
In January this year, Justice Ayesha Malik became the first woman judge to be appointed to the Pakistan Supreme Court. Prior to her appointment, the Pakistan Bar Council had boycotted Courts on the day the Judicial Commission of Pakistan was to meet to consider the elevation of Justice Ayesha Malik as a judge of the Supreme Court.
The Bar Council contended that seniority was being overlooked for appointing Justice Malik.
Justice Ayesha Malik had completed Masters of Law from Harvard Law School and was named a London H. Gammon Fellow 1998-1999 for outstanding merit, before starting practice in Pakistan and becoming a judge of the Lahore High Court in the year 2012.
Till her appointment on January 24, 2022, Pakistan was the only South Asian country to have never had a female Supreme Court judge.