The president said that the chief justice, contrary to the assurances given, had gone ahead with his decision to set up the committee and that it had already started taking action against two senior lawyers. PHOTO: AGHA MEHROZ/EXPRESS
RAWALPINDI: Lawyers in Rawalpindi on Saturday observed a partial strike and boycotted court proceedings to protest against a committee constituted by Lahore High Court (LHC) to take disciplinary action against lawyers for their alleged unprofessional behavior.
The District Bar Association Rawalpindi asked its members to skip court proceedings after an announcement to this effect was made by the Punjab Bar Council. A majority of litigants had to return with new dates for their cases after their lawyers’ boycotted proceedings.
“Lawyers do not need to create problems for their clients, many of whom are poor and in distress,” said a litigant Muhammad Arsalan who had come to the district courts to attend hearings of his land dispute case. “Strikes have become a regular feature. Moreover, the lawyers do not inform beforehand about a strike,” he complained.
He added that most lawyers demand their fees should be paid in advance and when they do not appear in the court, it was tormenting for their clients.
However, a visit to the court revealed that the strike was only partial with many lawyers attending hearings and entertaining clients showing a clear split among the legal fraternity over the matter.
A young lawyer, who did not wish to be named said that many lawyers did not favour the strike. He added that while most lawyers observe the strike in major cities such as Rawalpindi, lawyers in smaller towns such as Taxila, Murree, Gujar Khan and Kahuta do not fully adhere to such calls.
When contacted, DBA general secretary Advocate Sardar Bilal Yaqoob claimed that lawyers observed a complete strike in Rawalpindi.
He explained that the strike was staged by the lawyers to express their displeasure at the LHC’s decision to set up a committee consisting of LHC judges. Further, this committee, he said, had been authorised to initiate disciplinary action against lawyers who were found involved in malpractices or misbehaving with judicial officers.
Advocate Yaqoob added that the Supervisory Committee of LHC judges was a parallel forum to Punjab Bar Council, reminding that previously the PBC used to hear any complaints against lawyers and took action against them.
Talking to The Express Tribune, DBA President Advocate Shaukat Rauf Siddiqui said the PBC was not happy with the LHC’s decision. He added that LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, had assured the Council that he would take back his decision to form the disciplinary committee.
The president said that the chief justice, contrary to the assurances given, had gone ahead with his decision to set up the committee and that it had already started taking action against two senior lawyers. Siddiqui said that the committee had taken action against Advocate Rana Saeed Anwar, vice president Lahore Bar Association and Advocate Asif Bashr Mirza, former president of Ferozewala Bar Association.
Siddiqui, said that the PBC considered the committee’s action unlawful and without jurisdiction.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2016.
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