Grants and praise: Rs40m grant announced for LHCBA

Provision of annual grants to bar associations given green light.

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced a Rs40 million special grant for the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

He was speaking to an LHCBA delegation. Sharif also approved a proposal regarding the provision of annual grants to bar associations across the province. He said legislation for this would be introduced soon. The chief minister said the legal community played a pivotal role in providing speedy justice to the people. He said lawyers’ services for the supremacy of the Constitution and the stability of democracy were commendable.



Sharif said the legal community ought to ensure that justice was meted out at the police station and kutchery levels. He said bar associations should strive for the provision of speedy and inexpensive justice. Sharif said the provision of justice at citizens’ doorstep was a formidable challenge. He said the role of the legal community regarding the introduction of judicial reforms was crucial. The chief minister said the government had been taking solid measures for the welfare of the legal community. He said challenges confronting lawyers would be resolved on a priority basis.

The chief minister said effective measures had been taken to ensure merit and transparency across the province. He said the Land Record Management Information System was vital in this regard.

He said the project had been successfully implemented in several tehsils across the Punjab.

Sharif said the Rs14-billion project was nearing completion province-wide. Sharif said the government was determined to overcome the energy crisis. He said several power projects would start functioning in 2017.

LHCBA president Pir Masood Chishti said Sharif had been serving the people of the Punjab tirelessly and had initiated scores of programmes for their welfare. The members of the delegation assured the chief minister of their complete support for measures being taken to ensure the speedy provision of justice to the people. They lauded the initiatives taken by the government in the health, education and power sectors. The delegation members praised the chief minister for approving the provision of annual grants to bar associations. They also thanked Sharif for taking personal interest in ensuring that the problems afflicting the community were resolved.

Education Minister Rana Mashhood, former law minister Rana Sanaullah, National Assembly Member (MNA) Pervaiz Malik, LHCBA vice-president Irfan Arif Sheikh, secretary Muhammad Ahmed Qayyum and finance secretary Akhtar Hussain Sheraz were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2015.