LAHORE, June 2: A committee of five former presidents of the Lahore High Court Bar Association on Thursday succeeded in brokering a reconciliation between the bar and the bench after an assurance by the top high court administrators that they would continue paying bar’s utility bills.

Comprising Mohammad Zaman Qureshi, Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf Wahla, Syed Kaleem Ahmad Khurshid, Mian Asrarul Haq and Ahmad Awais, the committee met Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry who is said to have allowed the process to continue.

According to Ahmad Awais, a gas supply meter will be installed on the bar premises in the name of the LHC registrar, who will be responsible to pay all charges of gas and electricity to the bar rooms and canteens.

The chief justice, according to Mr Awais, also agreed that the gas and electricity arrears that the bar had already paid would be refunded.

LHCBA President Fakharunnisa Khokhar has accepted the outcome of the meeting and thanked the committee for its efforts. She is also understood to have agreed that she would withdraw her writ petition to the Supreme Court on the question of gas supply to the bar.

Mr Awais said the meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere and the chief justice had shown goodwill gesture in restoring a working relationship with the bar.

The chief justice, he said, told the committee members that he stood for amity with lawyers and a strong judicial system.

Election plea: Advocate Muhammad Ramzan Chaudhry on Thursday submitted before an election tribunal of the Lahore High Court that a petition filed against MNA Chaudhry Wajahat Husain was not maintainable for technical and other reasons.

PPP candidate Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gul moved the election petition, alleging that Chaudhry Wajahat used official resources and illegal means for winning the election from NA-104, Gujrat.

Justice Sheikh Abdur Rashid adjourned further hearing in the petition till Friday (today) when the MNA’s counsel was still on his legs.