Election results for the new governing body of the Free Legal Aid Society for Helpless (FLASH) were announced on Monday. The elections were held under the supervision of Advocate Tipu Salman Makhdoom.
According to the results, Professor Dr Parvez Akhtar was elected as president, Dr Tariq Aziz elected as senior vice president, Muhammad Zafarullah as vice president, M Shahid Usman as general secretary, Sabahat Rizvi as joint secretary, Syed Irshad Ali Shah as finance secretary and Wasim Iqbal Rabbani as assistant finance secretary.
Giving details about the society, the newly elected president said the FLASH, by engaging advocates, provided free legal aid to the helpless, particularly deserving prisoners or detainees languishing in jails or lock-ups. He said the FLASH also suggested improvements to different government departments and organisations regarding the living conditions of the prisoners and proposed steps necessary for the early disposal of cases, especially the criminal cases.
Akhtar said in 2010, 373 needy individuals contacted the society for free legal aid, of which only 149 passed the FLASH fitness test. Around 101 of these cases have been decided upon with the legal help provided by the FLASH counsels and a large number of prisoners, imprisoned for life or sentenced to death, have been released. Currently 48 cases are pending, he added.
Talking about FLASH’s resources, the president said the society did not receive any government or non-governmental grants. He said the FLASH was run solely on contribution made by its members and other philanthropists.
