PESHAWAR, June 6: Differences cropped up between office-bearers and members of Fata Lawyers Forum on Wednesday after its patron-in-chief announced to suspend the forum’s cabinet but the rival group insisted the suspension was illegal as Abdul Kareem Mehsud had no legal authority to do so.

The apparent reason for these differences was the announcement of some office-bearers and members of the forum to contest the case of Dr Shakil Afridi, who is suspected of having links with CIA and was recently convicted for supporting the banned militant organisation, Lashkar-e-Islam.

A panel of lawyers, including president of the forum Ijaz Mohmand, secretary general Samiullah Afridi and members Raza Khan Safi and Qammar Nadeem Afridi, has been defending Dr Afridi before the court of FCR commissioner for appeal against conviction.Although these insist they have been appearing in the case in individual capacity, some office-bearers of the forum object to it.

The forum’s patron-in-chief issued a news release on Wednesday saying a meeting of the forum was held on June 1 which concluded without decision due to differences among members.

He said some office-bearers and members of the forum, including vice president Jehangir Afridi, joint secretary Khyal Mohammad Mohmand, information secretary Mumtaz Ali, finance secretary Mohammad Qabees Shinwari and others, had resigned.

Mr Abdul Kareem announced to suspend the cabinet and form an organising committee for looking after the affairs of the forum.

He added that the said committee would conduct the scrutiny of the members within two weeks.

When contacted, the forum’s general secretary, Samiullah, told Dawn that under their Constitution, Mr Mehsud had no authority to suspend the cabinet as his post was a symbolic one only.

He added that a person occupying one of the top positions in the province had conspired against the lawyers and used Mr Mehsud for creating a split in the forum.

Mr Samiullah said the matter raised by some members of the forum was meaningless as he and other lawyers had clearly told them that they were contesting case of Dr Afridi in individual capacity not as office-bearers of the forum. He alleged that Mr Mehsud had been promised to be given a job at the newly-established Fata Tribunal against which the forum had also filed a writ petition with the high court.