Bar-bench relations: Judge-LBA rift ‘resolved’ after two weeks

The judge and an LBA office-bearer had had an argument during a hearing.

LAHORE:

A two-week-old rift between a judge and a Lahore Bar Association (LBA) office-bearer was considered resolved on Tuesday with the former being transferred from Aiwan-e-Adl to district courts, The Express Tribune has learnt.

On May 10, family court judge Muhammad Rashid and LBA Senior Vice President Ghulam Abbas Sahir had an argument when the judge turned down his request to put off a hearing.

A witness said the judge had told Sahir, the counsel for the respondents, that he had already given him the “last opportunity” to submit his reply.

“However, Sahir insisted. When the judge still refused he got angry and used foul language. The judge replied in the same tone,” said the witness who did not want to be named.

He said Sahir then threatened to get Rashid transferred to a far-flung area. “The judge told him to do whatever he wished but the hearing would not be put off.”

“The noise attracted a number of lawyers and litigants. The argument went on for 10 minutes. Judges from nearby courtrooms came over and pacified them,” the witness said.

Rashid later reported the matter to Senior Civil Judge Khalid Saeed Wattoo. Sahir went and complained to District and Sessions Judge Tariq Iftikhar Ahmad.

When the judge came to the court the following day (May 11), Sahir did not let him enter the courtroom. The judge was kept from attending the court on May 12 as well.

On May 13, he went on a one-week leave. He was not allowed to sit in court after the leave.

The senior civil judge tried to pacify the LBA office-bearers but they insisted that Rashid should be transferred.

On Tuesday, the lawyers said the matter had been resolved with the transfer of Rashid to the district courts.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Sahir denied he had requested an adjournment.

“I only requested the judge to decide the case of another lawyer, Mubashir Majid Dogar, on merit.” This was not the first time LBA office-bearers had barred a judge from attending the court.

They had prevented Additional District and Sessions Judge (AD&SJ) Javed Iqbal Warraich from doing his judicial duty from February 10 until February 17, claiming the judge had denied them a stay order in a case.

On February 10, according to the court staff, LBA General Secretary Chaudhry Salim Ladhi and Sahir had appeared before the AD&SJ and requested the stay order.

The judge told them he could not award the stay order without issuing a notice to the other party. This infuriated the lawyers who took the judge to a retiring room and used derogatory language against him.

“The bar representatives threatened him that they would not let him work if the stay order is not issued,” the court staff said.

The judge was transferred to Kasur a week later.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2014.