Nepal Bar Association, the umbrella organisation of legal practitioners, on Thursday issued a circular to its units and branch offices to remain silent on the motion of impeachment against Chief Justice Sushila Karki.

NBA General Secretary Khamma Bahadur Khati wrote to the entities not to hold any programme either in support or disapproval of the impeachment motion.

“All the concerned Bar units are informed to avoid any support or protest programmes to maintain the independence of NBA considering jurisdiction of the independent legislature,” read the circular.

Legal practitioners came down heavily on the Bar office bearers, during a protest organised at the NBA premises later in the day. Former NBA president and Senior Advocate Sambhu Thapa urged the office bearers not to issue such prohibitory instructions. “The office bearers elected with the votes of legal practitioners should not try to gag lawyers by dancing to the tune of PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Sher Bahadur Deuba,” said Thapa.

The incumbent NBA office bearers have close ties with the Nepali Congress and its leaders. However, many Bar units are learnt to have strongly opposed the statement though no formal response has been issued.

NBA Vice-president Usha Malla Pathak said the contents of the letter were not discussed in the working committee. “There had not been any formal decision on the issue,” said Pathak. “We had warned against such arbitrary circular of letters.”

Advocates have begun a signature campaign against the impeachment motion.

SC begins hearing on petition against move.

The Supreme Court on Thursday began hearing on a writ petition challenging the decision to impeach Chief Justice Sushila Karki.

Advocates Sunil Ranjan Singh, Tika Ram Bhattarai and Dinesh Tripathi defended the case before a single bench of Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana. The hearing will continue on Friday.

Petitioner Singh claims that the impeachment bid contravenes Article 105 of the constitution, which says: No discussion shall be held in either House of the Federal Parliament on any matters that may cause adverse effect on the dispensation of justice on any cases which are sub judice in any courts of Nepal and on any judicial acts done by judges in course of performance of their duties.