May 03, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1428

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Sargodha, May 2: The general body of the District Bar Association on Wednesday cancelled the memberships of 33 lawyers for meeting the Punjab chief minister on May 1 here at the residence of MNA Chaudhry Anwar Cheema.

The general body, which met with its president Malik Afzal Farooka in the chair on Wednesday, sacked the lawyers on the charges of misusing the bar forum for their personal gains and violating the norms of the lawyers’ fraternity.

The lawyers whose memberships were cancelled include a former president and two former general secretaries.

A resolution adopted at the meeting not only removed the lawyers but also cancelled allotment of their chambers and asked them to vacate the premises otherwise the bar would eject them in seven days.

The general body also sent the list of lawyers to the courts with the observation that they were no more members of the bar hence they were not entitled to appear before any court.

Bar general secretary Malik Nasrullah Khan said the action was taken under article 15 of the Bar’s Memorandum of Articles.

The lawyers whose memberships have been cancelled include Haroon Akbar Cheema (former president), Munir Husain Leghari (ex-deputy commissioner), Malik Umar Hayat Khokhar, Makhdoom Sikandar Azam, Imran Yousaf Gondal, Muhammad Ali Raza Munir Leghari, Ghulam Abbas Goindi, Fayaz Mahmood Cheema, Yousaf Gondal, Rana Shaukat Ali Khan, Fayaz Mahmood Sekho Cheema, Ashraf Khan Dhonda and Rai Zamanullah Kharal (both ex-general secretaries), Rana Afzal, Hafiz Abdul Rehman Sahi, Mehr Khan Muhammad Sambhal, Malik Javed Kalo, Malik Sajid Mahmood, Malik Azhar Javed Khokhar, Aamer Nadeem, Saifullah Awan, Ghulam Akbar Bhatti, Rana Tasawar Husain, Azharul Haq Sherazi, Mehr Ejaz Zafar Lak, Mehr Rafaqat Ali Haral, Raja Shuja Javed (nephew of PML-N leader Raja Zafarul Haq), Aamer Wahab Awan, Asad Rahim Warriach, Habib Sultan Hinjra, Saeedul Zafar Gujjar and Sadaqat Ali Khan

It may be noted that most of the lawyers who met the chief minister were young or who have been inducted as prosecutor or additional district attorneys and their fathers and most of them deliberately sought this action from the bar to attract the attention of rulers for reward.

Interestingly, a police constable, reported to be an employee of an intelligence agency, provided all the information to the bar and remained in the meeting for influencing the bar. The local lawyers though appreciated the action taken by office bearers but at the same condemned the act of a policeman who gave the names for action.

A senior lawyer, who faced expulsion, told this correspondent that his son was recruited by the Punjab government as a prosecutor and if he had not attended the meeting, his son would have been sacked.

Another senior lawyer said he joined the government fold only to get a job for his son.

While more than a dozen young lawyers were either recruited on contract as prosecutor or expecting their appointment.