The provincial government has issued Rs15.5 million as grant-in-aid to six bar associations in the last two years and plans to give Rs7 million collectively to two other associations.
This was stated in documents provided by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi. According to a copy of the documents available with The Express Tribune, the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) received Rs7 million between 2013 and 2014 while the Shangla District Association received Rs2 million during the same period.
The PHCBA funds were to be used to provide assistance to lawyers from poor families, for repairs of bar rooms and to purchase a vehicle which could run errands for PHCBA. The documents further stated funds were provided to the Shangla Bar Association to renovate its bar room and purchase books, computers and furniture for its library.
Similarly, the government released Rs1 million between 2014 and 2015 for Kabal Bar Association in Swat, Rs2.5 million for Mansehra District Bar Association, Rs1 million for Lower Dir District Bar Association and Rs2 million for Haripur District Bar Association. The funds were allocated for the purchase of books, furniture, generators, photocopy machines and construction work.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Qureshi said Rs7 million have been approved by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak for bar associations in Mardan and Matta. “At least Rs5 million will be given to the Mardan District Bar Association to assist lawyers and expand its library,” he said.
“Meanwhile, Rs2 million has been set aside for the Matta tehsil bar association for construction and repair work and purchase of books for the library.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2015.
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