LAHORE: National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) officials have closed their office near the DCO office in protest at lawyers’ violent behavior with them.

A source privy to the development said the officials had written to the the home department complaining that lawyers had manhandled their officials and public. It said as the lawyers were not ready to change their attitude, Nadra had decided to shift the office to Gulberg-II.

The letter says a scuffle between visitors and lawyers was reported on April 17. Lawyers Azam and Khurram with an unidentified man manhandled Nadra staffer Muddassir Latif. After that 10 to 15 more lawyers gathered in the office to pressurise the staff to process their case on a priority.

On June 26, lawyer Shahzad Rao abused the staff when they turned down his demand for out-of-turn processing of his client’s case. He tore the shirt of DEO Ali Raza and also thrashed another official Abu Baker.

The Nadra also sent a letter to the Punjab Bar Council but no action was taken against the lawyers involved in torturing the Nadra staff.

The letter stated that the latest incident took place on Aug 25 when assistant of senior lawyer Mian Saeed came to the office before the start of the shift and demanded a token.

When Nadra official Muddassir Latif refused to issue the token, the assistant thrashed him.

When the staffers tried to stop him, the assistant thrashed them too. The staffers said that it had become a routine matter that every lawyer demanded favour affecting the official work.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2015

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