Punjab University: Rs47m allocated for lawyers in violation of rules
Autonomous bodies are required to forward requests to appoint attorneys to govt.
As per the university record, Rs29.59 million is to be spent on legal fees in 2013-2014, Rs8.52 million on law charges and Rs8 million on court cases. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
The Punjab University has allocated Rs47.11 million in its budget for 2013-2014 for legal advisers and court cases despite a budget deficit, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Documents available with The Express Tribune show that Rs47.11 million has been reserved for fees to be paid to legal advisers and case expenditures in the PU’s budget for 2013-2014. Mostly the legal advisers, however, contest cases pertaining to certain individuals rather than the institution, officials dealing with the matter told The Express Tribune. The advisers have apparently been hired in violation of the Punjab government rules for autonomous bodies.
The notification Gen: 2-12008/1941, issued by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department on May 14th, 2011, says autonomous bodies cannot hire legal advisers without forwarding the applications to the Punjab government. “The autonomous body shall forward to the Government all applications of the candidates along with a comparative statement and its recommendations,” the notification states.
The PU administration has not followed this rule in appointing its legal advisers, a senior PU official said. It has 11 legal advisers. As per the university record, Rs29.59 million is to be spent on legal fees in 2013-2014, Rs8.52 million on law charges and Rs8 million on court cases.
“The expenditures have been marked under three separate heads to avoid the impression that the university is spending a large amount on court cases that involve certain individuals,” the official said.
“PU is an autonomous body and was supposed to adhere to the instructions in the notification, but it did not,” he added.
A member of the PU Syndicate said it was regrettable that the university was approving proposals to lease out university land to construct a bus stand to earn revenue. While on the other hand, it was spending a hefty amount on the legal cases involving individuals.
“70 per cent of the cases are against the vice chancellor or his supporters. If a person is nominated in a legal suit, they should pay for it themselves. The money allocated for legal fees should have been used to bridge the budget deficit instead of leasing off university land to a transportation company,” the official said.
A Punjab University spokesman told The Express Tribune that it was wrong to state that these cases were against individuals and not the institution. “Most of the cases challenge the respondent’s official position. In Khujista Rehan case, the petitioner had filed a case against the vice chancellor in his official capacity. As far as money is concerned, the PU is a large institution. When our opponents hire good lawyers, we have to hire equally good lawyers and pay them their regular fees which is sometimes quite steep.”
The spokesman said as far as the Punjab government’s notification was concerned, he would have to find out whether the university had even received it or not. “Sometimes the government issues a notification regarding autonomous bodies but it never reaches us and we have to request for it. May be we never received the notification, but I will find it out,” he said. The spokesman further said the PU has only one legal adviser. The rest are lawyers on its panel. “The VC is personally paying the legal fees in the Khujista Rehan case,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2014.
The Punjab University has allocated Rs47.11 million in its budget for 2013-2014 for legal advisers and court cases despite a budget deficit, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Documents available with The Express Tribune show that Rs47.11 million has been reserved for fees to be paid to legal advisers and case expenditures in the PU’s budget for 2013-2014. Mostly the legal advisers, however, contest cases pertaining to certain individuals rather than the institution, officials dealing with the matter told The Express Tribune. The advisers have apparently been hired in violation of the Punjab government rules for autonomous bodies.
The notification Gen: 2-12008/1941, issued by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department on May 14th, 2011, says autonomous bodies cannot hire legal advisers without forwarding the applications to the Punjab government. “The autonomous body shall forward to the Government all applications of the candidates along with a comparative statement and its recommendations,” the notification states.
The PU administration has not followed this rule in appointing its legal advisers, a senior PU official said. It has 11 legal advisers. As per the university record, Rs29.59 million is to be spent on legal fees in 2013-2014, Rs8.52 million on law charges and Rs8 million on court cases.
“The expenditures have been marked under three separate heads to avoid the impression that the university is spending a large amount on court cases that involve certain individuals,” the official said.
“PU is an autonomous body and was supposed to adhere to the instructions in the notification, but it did not,” he added.
A member of the PU Syndicate said it was regrettable that the university was approving proposals to lease out university land to construct a bus stand to earn revenue. While on the other hand, it was spending a hefty amount on the legal cases involving individuals.
“70 per cent of the cases are against the vice chancellor or his supporters. If a person is nominated in a legal suit, they should pay for it themselves. The money allocated for legal fees should have been used to bridge the budget deficit instead of leasing off university land to a transportation company,” the official said.
A Punjab University spokesman told The Express Tribune that it was wrong to state that these cases were against individuals and not the institution. “Most of the cases challenge the respondent’s official position. In Khujista Rehan case, the petitioner had filed a case against the vice chancellor in his official capacity. As far as money is concerned, the PU is a large institution. When our opponents hire good lawyers, we have to hire equally good lawyers and pay them their regular fees which is sometimes quite steep.”
The spokesman said as far as the Punjab government’s notification was concerned, he would have to find out whether the university had even received it or not. “Sometimes the government issues a notification regarding autonomous bodies but it never reaches us and we have to request for it. May be we never received the notification, but I will find it out,” he said. The spokesman further said the PU has only one legal adviser. The rest are lawyers on its panel. “The VC is personally paying the legal fees in the Khujista Rehan case,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2014.