A delegation of lawyers from the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association Pakistan (SCBAP) met with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa and the most senior judge Justice Sardar Tariq Masood on Wednesday to discuss the issues of case-fixing and bench formation in the Supreme Court (SC).

The meeting lasted for two hours and covered various topics related to the functioning of the SC, such as the appointment of cases of urgent nature, the implementation of the Faizabad sit-in case verdict, and the creation of a solid policy for fixing cases for hearing in the SC.

According to former PBC Chairman Abid Saqi, who was part of the delegation, the CJP said that if the Faizabad execution case was not decided, then the lawyers would stage a sit-in against him. Saqi said he replied with a smile that he would do so.

PBC Vice Chairman Haroon ur Rasheed and Chairman Executive Committee Hasan Raza Pasha also spoke to the media after the meeting and said that they were invited by the CJP to address the issues facing the lawyers' community and that they submitted their proposals in writing.

Haroon said the CJP has formed a SC's committee to review their proposals and that it will meet soon. He said they expressed a hope in the meeting that a mechanism for fixing cases for hearing in the SC will be devised soon and that it will be implemented even after the retirement of the CJP.

Pasha told the media that the Supreme Court has formed a committee to consider the suggestions of the lawyers' bodies. The committee will include a representative of the PBC, the SCBAP and a judge of the apex court, he added.

Pasha said that the PBC and the SCBAP had given separate recommendations, which were 70 to 89 percent similar, and many of their suggestions were such that the Chief Justice expressed his willingness.

He said that the chief justice assured them that he would inform them about the implementation of their suggestions before his retirement. He said that both the judges who attended the meeting were united.

Pasha clarified that there was no discussion about elections and political cases in the meeting and their proposals were only related to the Supreme Court.

On a question about why was Justice Ejaz ul Ahsan not included in the meeting? Pasha answered that according to the rules, the CJP is accompanied by the most senior judge and he was present in the meeting.

Sources said that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah will be part of the committee formed by the CJP. The sources also said that the CJP asked the lawyers to refrain from using the term "My Lord" in the courtroom.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori