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       MUZAFFARABAD: The Supreme Court Bar Association of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has expressed full solidarity with the legal fraternity of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), which has been observing a boycott of court proceedings and holding peaceful demonstrations over what they describe as continued neglect of their pressing and legitimate demands.

       In a statement issued on Sunday, Javaid Najamus Saqib, President of the AJK Supreme Court Bar Association, said the demands raised by GB’s bar associations were not only genuine but also essential for the smooth and effective functioning of the judicial system in the mountainous region.

       Lawyers in Gilgit-Baltistan have been staging region-wide protests and abstaining from court work for several months, citing the federal government’s failure to fill key judicial vacancies and enact necessary legal protections.

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       The strike has significantly disrupted judicial proceedings in the territory, amplifying calls from civil society for immediate remedial action.

       Mr Saqib noted with concern that the prolonged delay in appointing judges to the Supreme Appellate Court and other judicial positions in GB had severely affected access to justice and resulted in the accumulation of thousands of pending cases, causing hardship to litigants across the region.

       “The delay is not just a bureaucratic lapse but a denial of the fundamental right to timely justice,” he said.

       He also stressed the urgent need for extending the Lawyers Protection Act to GB, terming it a long-overdue step toward ensuring the safety, dignity, and professional security of legal practitioners operating under increasingly challenging circumstances.

       Calling upon the relevant authorities to address the GB lawyers’ concerns without further delay, Mr Saqib maintained that the rule of law could not be upheld in the absence of a robust and responsive judiciary.

       “The Supreme Court Bar Association of Azad Jammu and Kashmir stands in unwavering solidarity with the lawyers of Gilgit-Baltistan and reaffirms its commitment to supporting their just struggle through all democratic and legal means,” he said.

       Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2025