Lahore High Court Bar threatens to surround Punjab Assembly, CM Office over funding crisis

The Lahore High Court Bar Association has given the Punjab government 15 days to release its pending funds, warning that lawyers will surround the Punjab Assembly and the Chief Minister’s Office if the financial issue is not resolved within the stipulated period, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Thursday.

Lahore High Court Bar President Babar Murtaza Khan said the association’s employees had not received their salaries for the past four months because of the non-availability of funds.

He said the bar would not accept dependence on or “subservience” to the government, arguing that the release of funds was its constitutional and legal right.

Khan warned that the legal community would launch a protest campaign and move towards the Punjab Assembly and Chief Minister’s Office if the provincial authorities failed to release the funds within 15 days.

The bar association also expressed serious concern over the shortage of judges and the non-availability of benches, saying the situation had brought judicial work in several courts to a virtual standstill.

According to the bar president, litigants were becoming increasingly frustrated because of delays in the hearing of cases and the limited functioning of the Lahore High Court’s Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi and Multan benches.

He demanded that the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court and high courts be increased immediately to improve the judicial system, reduce the backlog of cases and ensure the timely delivery of justice.

The association also passed a resolution calling for the summer vacation in the superior judiciary to be reduced from two months to one month. Bar representatives said the prolonged vacation period further delayed proceedings and added to the difficulties faced by litigants awaiting decisions in their cases.

Khan said people were becoming desperate for justice because of the inadequate functioning of the regional benches. He urged the relevant authorities to ensure the regular availability of judges and benches in Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi and Multan.

The Lahore High Court Bar also demanded the formation of a judicial commission to investigate and document alleged Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir. The association said the commission should bring the facts before the international community and provide a formal legal record of human rights violations in the disputed territory.

During the meeting, the bar also approved an increase in its lifetime and regular membership fees.

Under the decision, the membership fee will be doubled from Rs6,000 to Rs12,000 with effect from August 15. The association said the increase was necessary to meet its administrative and operational expenses amid the continuing financial shortage.

The bar leadership called on the Punjab government to address the funding crisis without delay, pay the outstanding salaries of employees and ensure that the association could continue providing services to its members.

Reporter: Malik Ashraf