Breaking the law: Lawyers continue to build illegal chambers
A lawyer resumes illegal construction of his chamber on land owned by the Revenue Department.
LAHORE:
A lawyer resumed, on Monday,illegal construction of his chamber on land owned by the Revenue Department in violation of an understanding reached with the department on Saturday.
Around 20 lawyers of the Ferozewala Bar Association plan to follow suit, The Express Tribune has learnt.
During a meeting on Saturday with the EDO (Revenue), the lawyers had agreed that the issue of whether the lawyers could construct on the land would be taken up in front of the sessions judge on January 5, 2011.
However, Advocate Malik Sarmad, an FBA member, started construction of his chamber on Monday night employing more than 20 labourers. When Revenue Department officials got to know of the development, they reached the spot. Chaudhry Adnan Arshad Olakh, the executive district officer Revenue, told The Express Tribune that when department officials tried to stop Sarmad, he and the labourers attacked them. “One of them also tried to hit some of the officials by chasing them with a tractor. They barely escaped,” the EDOR said.
The department officials called the police, who stopped the construction. However, on Tuesday after a general house meeting of the FBA, lawyers registered an FIR against the Ferozewala SHO, Iftikhar Ahmed Waria, accusing him of stealing Sarmad’s mobile phone and cash (Rs70,000).
A lawyer, seeking anonymity, told the Tribune that about a dozen lawyers planned to spend Tuesday night on the premises and construct their chambers overnight. “We have arranged for all the construction material, which will reach after 8 pm. By dawn we would have constructed the basic structure. No one can demolish the chambers once they are constructed,” he said.
Another lawyer, who did not want to give his name, dared the Revenue Department to stop them “if it can”. Asked what effect the construction would have on streets and passages around the courts, he said, “These streets belong to the lawyers”. Olakh confirmed that department officials too planned to stay on the court premises all night long, if necessary, in order to make sure that no illegal construction takes place.
The disagreement between lawyers and the Revenue Department dates back almost two years. In January 2009, some FBA members constructed some chambers on land owned by the Revenue Department. Though the department intervened, around 20 chambers were built and still stand. Four months ago, lawyers illegally took over a residence of the Revenue Department for use it as a court of an additional district and sessions judge. However, they vacated it after the department provided them alternative room in the same locality. In August 2007, FBA members had constructed 40 chambers on the land owned by the National Highway Authority on GT Road.
Olakh, told the Tribune, that the illegal construction on the thoroughfare in 2009 had made it impossible for prisons vans to access the temporary detention cell (Bakhshi Khana). “Construction of additional chambers means that the prisoners would have to be taken to the Bakhshi Khana on foot. That is a security risk, any untoward incident can occur,” the official said.
The official added that the lawyers had constructed their chambers by cutting the steel-ladder providing access to the water tank. “If there’s a problem or the tank needs to be cleaned, there’s no way to do it now,” Olakh said, adding, “Not only that all the major pipes run below the land where the lawyers have constructed their chambers.”
Reached for his comments, the FBA secretary general, Chaudhry Ghulam Mustafa said that the Revenue Department was to blame for the situation. “Such incidents happen because they are not providing the lawyers any space for their chambers. The number of lawyers has increased manifold in the last few years but not a single marla has been allocated for them,” Mustafa said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2010.
A lawyer resumed, on Monday,illegal construction of his chamber on land owned by the Revenue Department in violation of an understanding reached with the department on Saturday.
Around 20 lawyers of the Ferozewala Bar Association plan to follow suit, The Express Tribune has learnt.
During a meeting on Saturday with the EDO (Revenue), the lawyers had agreed that the issue of whether the lawyers could construct on the land would be taken up in front of the sessions judge on January 5, 2011.
However, Advocate Malik Sarmad, an FBA member, started construction of his chamber on Monday night employing more than 20 labourers. When Revenue Department officials got to know of the development, they reached the spot. Chaudhry Adnan Arshad Olakh, the executive district officer Revenue, told The Express Tribune that when department officials tried to stop Sarmad, he and the labourers attacked them. “One of them also tried to hit some of the officials by chasing them with a tractor. They barely escaped,” the EDOR said.
The department officials called the police, who stopped the construction. However, on Tuesday after a general house meeting of the FBA, lawyers registered an FIR against the Ferozewala SHO, Iftikhar Ahmed Waria, accusing him of stealing Sarmad’s mobile phone and cash (Rs70,000).
A lawyer, seeking anonymity, told the Tribune that about a dozen lawyers planned to spend Tuesday night on the premises and construct their chambers overnight. “We have arranged for all the construction material, which will reach after 8 pm. By dawn we would have constructed the basic structure. No one can demolish the chambers once they are constructed,” he said.
Another lawyer, who did not want to give his name, dared the Revenue Department to stop them “if it can”. Asked what effect the construction would have on streets and passages around the courts, he said, “These streets belong to the lawyers”. Olakh confirmed that department officials too planned to stay on the court premises all night long, if necessary, in order to make sure that no illegal construction takes place.
The disagreement between lawyers and the Revenue Department dates back almost two years. In January 2009, some FBA members constructed some chambers on land owned by the Revenue Department. Though the department intervened, around 20 chambers were built and still stand. Four months ago, lawyers illegally took over a residence of the Revenue Department for use it as a court of an additional district and sessions judge. However, they vacated it after the department provided them alternative room in the same locality. In August 2007, FBA members had constructed 40 chambers on the land owned by the National Highway Authority on GT Road.
Olakh, told the Tribune, that the illegal construction on the thoroughfare in 2009 had made it impossible for prisons vans to access the temporary detention cell (Bakhshi Khana). “Construction of additional chambers means that the prisoners would have to be taken to the Bakhshi Khana on foot. That is a security risk, any untoward incident can occur,” the official said.
The official added that the lawyers had constructed their chambers by cutting the steel-ladder providing access to the water tank. “If there’s a problem or the tank needs to be cleaned, there’s no way to do it now,” Olakh said, adding, “Not only that all the major pipes run below the land where the lawyers have constructed their chambers.”
Reached for his comments, the FBA secretary general, Chaudhry Ghulam Mustafa said that the Revenue Department was to blame for the situation. “Such incidents happen because they are not providing the lawyers any space for their chambers. The number of lawyers has increased manifold in the last few years but not a single marla has been allocated for them,” Mustafa said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2010.