LAKKI MARWAT, Nov 10: Speakers at a workshop stressed the need for boosting closer ties between civil society and bar associations to ensure provision of free and speedy justice to the people. They pointed out that establishment of a free legal aid centre in the district had helped achieve this goal.

The Community Development Programme (CDP) and the United Nations Development Programme had arranged the workshop in a remote Shahbaazkhel village to educate people about their legal rights and usefulness of the legal aid centre.  Lakki bar association president Naimatullah Khan advocate, CDP executive director Fazalur Rehman Mashal and former nazim Abdul Mutlib spoke on the occasion.

Speakers said setting up of legal aid centre in a remote village of Lakki Marwat district was a great achievement as it had provided free legal assistance to more than twenty victimised people in a short time.

They said that people had pinned hopes on the movement for restoration of judiciary that they would get justice in a timely and speedy manner.

“Now they (people) have started reaping the fruits of independent and impartial judiciary in the country,” they maintained.

They said the higher judiciary gave judgments in several cases in the recent past that directly benefited poor masses.

Giving example of a case relating to the prices of CNG being heard by Supreme Court, the speakers said that actions taken on such matters by higher judiciary had enhanced the confidence of people on judicial system.

They underlined the need for expediting the process and provision of justice on merit in lower courts and said that people should approach legal centre to get free legal aid and protect their legal rights.

“There is the need to tell people that an access to prompt and free justice is possible with the help of free legal aid centres”, they added.

SALARIES STOPPED: The deputy district officer education Rehmatullah Khan has ordered stopping salaries of several teachers after they were found absent from duty during surprise inspection visits to the schools on Saturday.

Taking notice of public complaints about missing of teachers from schools the DDO carried out surprise visits to primary schools in Kurrum Par area and found several of them closed.

The teachers had left their respective schools in Sultankhel, Wanda Shahbuddin, Alam Shakhel, Wanda Khan Sarwer, Kanra Hakim Khan and Wanda Jandar villages after closing them before fixed time.

The ESED official also went to the primary schools in Kachi Kamar and Wanda Fateh Khan Shumali and found teachers absent from duty there.

He issued on spot orders to the subordinate officials to stop salaries of absent teachers and initiate disciplinary action against them.