‘Govt grants bid to divide lawyers’

SCBA vice-president Amanullah Karnani alleged that the federal government was trying to divide the legal fraternity.

Dividing the legal fraternity and using them against the judiciary is the rationale behind the doling out of large grants by the federal government to different bar associations, alleged the Supreme Court Bar Association vice-president Amanullah Karnani.

Addressing a press conference, the former senator who is also an executive member of the Balochistan Bar Council, refused to accept the Rs20 million grant announced by law minister Babar Awan during his visit to Balochistan last month.

Karnani also revealed that the law minister distributed hefty sums among 34 bar associations during his Balochistan tour. Of these, said Karnani, 18 have not been approved by the Balochistan Bar Council.

Karnani said that such moves by the government could not end the determination of lawyers to protect the independence of the judiciary. He said the judiciary had proved its independence with its July 31, 2009 judgement and that lawyers would work for the implementation of this order.

Awan had distributed Rs72 million amongst 34 bar associations of Balochistan during his May 22 visit. Even at the time, the Balochistan Bar Association had boycotted Awan and had announced its decision to not accept the minister’s money.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2010.