LAHORE: Members of the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) on Thursday staged a rally against the Constitutional 27th Amendment, which paved the way for the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). The protest, part of a growing campaign by a section of the legal community, saw lawyers marching from Aiwan-i-Adl to Charing Cross on The Mall.
The rally was joined en route by members of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) at GPO Chowk. Both the LBA and LHCBA are currently led by the Hamid Khan-backed professional group, which has openly opposed the amendment.
In contrast, lawyers’ bodies associated with the Ahsan Bhoon-led independent group — popularly known as the Asma Jahangir group — have welcomed the amendment and the establishment of the FCC, marking a clear split within the legal fraternity.
Members of the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) term the amendment an attack on the independence of the judiciary.https://t.co/N4A0h9L1gc
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) November 21, 2025
Participants in the rally chanted slogans against the amendment, calling it an attack on judicial independence. LHCBA President Asif Nissoana and LBA President Mubashir Rehman led the protest, with lawyers carrying placards and banners demanding the withdrawal of the amendment and abolition of the newly formed court.
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Addressing the gathering, Mr Rehman declared, “The lawyers’ movement has now begun,” announcing that rallies would be held every Thursday until the amendment is scrapped. “We will throw this amendment into the dustbin,” he vowed, expressing satisfaction over the growing momentum of the protest.
He said the movement had rekindled hope among lawyers concerned about the impact of the amendment on the judiciary’s autonomy. After a brief sit-in at Charing Cross lasting about half an hour, the protesters dispersed peacefully.
Anti-riot police were deployed along The Mall to prevent any untoward incident, though the rally remained orderly.
Earlier this week, a lawyers’ convention formed an action committee, which later decided to organise weekly demonstrations against the 27th Amendment. The bar leadership has signalled that the protests will intensify in the coming weeks.
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