Encroachment: Lawyers face off over chambers’ issue

Young lawyers say they have not been allotted offices.

ISLAMABAD:

Two groups of lawyers scuffled over illegal construction of additional chambers on a playground in F-8 Markaz on Thursday.

Senior members of the District Bar Association (DBA) passed a resolution, demanding a halt to further construction of chambers on the palyground. Members of the Young Lawyers’ Forum (YLF) claimed that they had not been allotted offices by senior lawyers.

In February, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had refused to issue a no objection certificate (NOC) to lawyers for setting up chambers on the playground adjacent to the court, saying such an activity on a public amenity could not be allowed.

Despite that, the lawyers built more than 35 offices on the playground and a scuffle between lawyers and traders had also occurred over the issue. The DBA restrained young lawyers from setting up chambers, in particular in spots adjacent to offices of judges of additional district and sessions and civil courts.

President DBA Dr Syed Anwar passed a resolution asking young lawyers to stop construction. The bar has also filed a reference before the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) requesting its president to cancel the lawyers’ licences.

The young lawyers said the bar started constructing illegal chambers first. YLF General Secretary Waqar Hanif Abbasi said,“It is the legal right of every lawyer to have a chamber, but unfortunately some lawyers, who are not members of the bar, have occupied the chambers.” Meanwhile, F-8 Markaz President Traders’ Welfare Association Qamar Zaman Abbasi has demanded that the CDA remove the illegally constructed chambers from the ground.  “Due to the construction of the illegal chambers, our businesses have suffered as the lawyers have encroached upon the footpath as well.” He urged the chief justice to take note of the issue.

On a complaint filed by F-8 Markaz traders in February, the police had registered an FIR against more than 50 lawyers for damaging commercial property and resorting to aerial fire.

When contacted, Islamabad Assistant Commissioner Imran Ali Sultan said on the bar’s request, the Islamabad Capital Territory administration has banned further construction of chambers.

CDA has faced difficulty in  taking action against encroachments by lawyers. The last time they decided to initiate legal proceedings, their counsel, Misbah, had refused to appear in court.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2013.