January 4, 2003	Saturday	Shawwal 30, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 3: The dispute between the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court and the Bar association over the construction of a library was resolved on Friday after Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan intervened into the matter and assured the lawyers that the library would be constructed and the officials responsible for aggravating the situation would be taken to task.

Speaking at a joint press conference on Friday, Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan and Chaudhry Ikram, President of Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench Bar Association, announced that the matter had been resolved amicably.

The court which had been closed for three days, would now start working from Monday. The Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar, had recalled four judges from the Rawalpindi Bench to the principal seat and had appointed Arshad Cheema Additional Registrar in place of Arshad Javed Mir.

Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan, son of Maula Dad Chowhan, the first mayor of Rawalpindi after Independence, is widely respected among the Bar members due to his stance on human rights.

A press statement was also issued on the occasion which stated that the Bar and the Bench, being two wheels of chariot of justice, were united for the protection of citizens rights.

It said forces which attempted to create fissures between the Bar and the Bench had failed. The Bar leaders hailed the role of Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan for the resolution of the dispute, and demanded that he should be permanently posted in Rawalpindi to avoid recurrence of any such incident in the future.

The Bench-Bar joint press statement said that Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan had assured that electricity, gas and water supply to the Bar building would be immediately restored, and in future these would not be disconnected.

To a question, Justice Chowhan said that library would be constructed, most probably at the same place or at a more suitable place which would be selected in consultation with the Bar. He said a design for the library building had been submitted which would be finalized soon.

Justice Chowhan regretted the treatment meted out to the newsmen by the officials of the high court, and said that an inquiry would be held to ascertain who was responsible for the whole episode.