On a different page: Rawalpindi lawyers boycott LHC’s 150-year celebrations

Legal fraternity up in arms over formation of panel to regulate its conduct

RAWALPINDI: Lawyers in Rawalpindi affiliated with the Lahore High Court Bar Association have decided to boycott the court’s 150-year celebrations as tensions between the bar and the bench intensified on Monday.

They have also demanded that licences of four lawyers who attended proceedings during their strike should be cancelled.

The LHC Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on Monday formed a committee to regulate the professional conduct of lawyers. It prompted an angry reaction from the lawyers. Subsequently, the legal fraternity in Rawalpindi held a press conference where they announced a complete boycott of celebrations.

Punjab Bar Council VP Muhammad Hussain, PBC members Ghulam Mustafa Kundwal and Intizar Mehdi, President LHCBA Mujeebur Rehman Kiani and District Bar Association President Shaukat Siddiqui lashed out at the LHC chief justice for forming a committee to hear complaints against the lawyers.

They were of the opinion that the correct forum to hear complaints against lawyers was the PBC. They added that the LHC judges could not listen to such complaints

Later, Kiani wrote a letter to the Punjab Car Council chairman asking him to cancel the licences of four lawyers who had defied the association’s strike.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2016.