Adopting a confrontational path with the superior judiciary, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is making hectic efforts to win over the lawyers’ community to avoid any future long march and around half-a-dozen meetings have been held in the Prime Minister’s House during the past few days while it has been decided that Rs 170 million would be given to leading bar associations of the country within the next week, Pakistan Today has learnt.
A source privy to the ongoing developments said that Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Yaseen Azad was the main negotiator in this regard and Law Minister Farook Naek has convinced the prime minister to sanction Rs 170 million which would be distributed among different bar associations.
“As per agreement, the SCBA would get Rs 100 million and two buses while Punjab Bar Council would get Rs 50 million and Balochistan Bar Council would be given Rs 20 million. Pakistan Bar Association would also be given money,” said the source.
The source said that the cheques of these amounts would be delivered to the bar associations next week during their meetings scheduled with the prime minister.
“A delegation of Pakistan Bar Council would meet the prime minister on Thursday while the SCBA delegation would meet at a dinner on Friday,” said the source, adding that more delegations of the country’s bar associations would also meet the prime minister.
The source said that the prime minister had decided to win over the lawyers’ community after a resolution was tabled in the meeting of the Pakistan Bar Council by Hamid Khan group on Friday seeking resignation from Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in wake of the apex court’s verdict in contempt of court case. However, the number-weak group of Hamid Khan had to request for deferring the resolution they had moved.
The absence of three members of Hamid Khan group out of the 22-member PBC had compelled them to withdraw their resolution and despite some secret contacts with the PBC members to win their support in favour of their resolution.
“The PBC meeting unanimously decided to defer the resolution as out of ten members of Hamid Khan group, only six were present while the mover of the resolution, Maqsood Buttar, was present in the meeting,” the source informed.
Can’t beat them, buy them!
