LAHORE: The Punjab Bar Council’s decision to hold its general house meeting in Murree instead of traditional place of Lahore has sparked a controversy as a number of its members are going to boycott the event.

With an elected house of 75 members, the provincial bar holds its general house meeting after every two months as per its rules. Though the rules are silent about the location of the general house meeting, the Lahore city has been the place of the activity.

The members opposing the decision opine that convening the meeting in Murree would amount to misuse of the bar’s funds. A member, Hafiz Ansarul Haq, says the bar’s affairs are run with the fee collected from issuance of practicing licences to young advocates.

He says there is no other source of income of the bar and using the money of young advocates for the ‘entertainment’ of the elected members is totally unjust.

Mr Haq alleges that bar vice chairperson Farah Ejaz Baig convened the meeting in Murree for July 25 (Saturday) only to oblige the members under the head of travelling and daily allowances.

He says at least 28 members of the bar will not attend the Murree meeting and they will hold a separate gathering in Lahore the same day. “We are convincing more members to boycott the meeting in Murree,” he adds.

On the other hand, Ms Baig has termed opposition to the Murree meeting uncalled for. She says the opponent members are doing politics on the Murree meeting issue. She claims that the bar’s funds are not being used for the meeting as members from Murree and Rawalpindi are hosting the gathering on their own. The opposition has recently faced a defeat on the Daska killing issue and will also be defeated now, she adds.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2015

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