July 25, 2006	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 28, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, July 24: Lawyers are expected to excel at the bar but their local union wants them to excel in escorting the foreign guests. A July 21 circular issued by Chaudhry Mohammad Gujar, president Islamabad Bar Association (IBA), has become talk of the town especially among the lawyers community as its members are required to register themselves as conducting officers to facilitate foreign delegates to a four-day international judicial conference to be held in Islamabad from August 11 to 14.

The event is being organised in connection with the golden jubilee celebrations of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

“Whoever wished to apply for the position, however, have to fulfil certain criteria like he/she should be a well-dressed person having a pleasant personality and must have a good understanding of international etiquette and protocols. Since a conducting officer is required to speak in English all the time he/she should be fluent in the language,” said the circular.

Some members of the IBA have, however, described the criteria as shocking. An anonymous letter in Urdu, which has been distributed among different advocates, has demanded a general body meeting of IBA members to chalk out a future line of action against what it called ‘humiliation’ of the lawyers’ community.

Those who have an experience of serving humanity are always considered fit to attend such a mega event but here only those are being invited who know how to eat with a knife and fork, observed a lawyer who wished not to be named.

To become a conducting officer, the aspirant should be familiar with table manners and know the art of using fork and knives at luncheons in five-star hotels.

Since the conducting officers are required to wear a proper ‘uniform’, therefore, they should immediately order a new suit for the occasion. Without uniform, no member would be allowed to attend the conference.

Therefore, only those members are required to apply for the position who could wear such uniform daily from August 11 to 14.

They have to be punctual in attending all the events of the conference like seminars, lectures, lunches, dinners, teas and other functions and fulfilling assigned responsibilities in a disciplined fashion.