OKARA: Tension between the district judiciary and a group of lawyers of the district bar association (DBA) soured further when the presiding officers of civil courts refused to hear cases of Advocate Chaudhry Riazul Haq.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Nadia Siddique and Civil Judge Mehunnisa forwarded the cases to District and Sessions Judge Bedar Bakht with a reference note regarding Haq’s ‘inappropriate attitude and habit of dictating the court during proceedings’.

When Haq found out about it, a large group of young lawyers gathered in his support and started shouting slogans in his favour. They also took a round of the courts that had referred the cases to the court of sessions judge.

Haq told this correspondent that he did not appear in both courts for the cases and the civil courts marked his presence with mala fide intentions due to the ongoing tussle between him and the district judiciary.

DBA President Zahid Bokhari, bar council members Mian Shafique Bhandara, Akhtar Husain Bhatti, Ali Kirmani, senior lawyers Habibur Rehman and others had held several meetings with Judge Bakht to resolve the issue between Haq and a civil judge amicably, but to no avail.

DBA former president Sagheer Ahmad Khan appeared before Judge Bakht and alleged that both civil court officers had filed references against Haq with mala fide intentions and they would contest them. He also sought a proper date for hearing of the references.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2017