LBA forms committee to probe graft charges

Finance secretary accuses bar <br /> members of funds embezzlement.

LAHORE: The Lahore Bar Association (LBA) has formed a committee to audit the bar’s five-year accounts data after the LBA finance secretary accused bar members of corruption and embezzlement of funds, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Three of the four committee members are former LBA presidents – Mirza Hanif Baig, Rana Zia Abdur Rehman and Chaudhry Zulifqar Ali. Advocate Chaudhry Anwar is the fourth member.

LBA representatives suspended the bar membership of finance secretary Faridul Haq Chishti a week ago for giving a call for a bar meeting and a strike without taking them on board, as well as what they called “steps against the welfare of lawyers”.

LBA General Secretary Saleem Ladhi told The Express Tribune that the committee had been constituted to investigate Chishti’s claims.

LBA Secretary Qasim Aslam said Chishti had asked them to give him a car from the bar’s funds. He said the bar money was for the welfare of lawyers and not for the personal use of its members.

Chishti has accused the LBA office-bearers of not keeping the record of parking contracts and funds received from the government and other institutions. He has been distributing pamphlets in subordinate courts, emphasising it was the right of lawyers to ask LBA’s representatives about the bar’s income and expenditure. He said he was suspended when he had asked for the record. LBA President Chaudhry Ishtiaq denied the allegations. “The allegations levelled against  LBA office-bearers are false. Anyone can access and see the record of the parking contracts,” he told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2014.