DERA GHAZI KHAN: District Bar Association President Sardar Naseem Khan Khosa has accused the federal state minister for climate change of getting the bar cheque dishonored.

Bar president Naseem Khan, brother of former Punjab governor Latif Khosa, won the bar elections by defeating Azmat Islam, backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Mr Khosa said a week ago, Law Minister Faroogh Naseem handed him over a cheque for Rs2 million for the bar at a ceremony in the presence of his rival candidate as well as Ms Gul and her husband. He claimed that when the cheque was handed over to him, Azmat asked him that half of the amount belonged to them. He said that he told them the full amount belonged to the bar, and not to any person. On his flat refusal, Azmat said the cheque would not be cashed. He said he deposited the cheque in a bank in Islamabad and when he was traveling back to his hometown, he was told by the bank staff that the cheque had bounced on the alleged interference of Ms Gul. He said he asked the bank how the climate minister could influence the matter when it pertained to the law ministry. He was told that the law minister had also dispatched them a letter. He alleged that the cheque was dishonored only because he had refused his rival group share in the cheque.

Former bar president Behram Buzdar claimed that Mr Gul wanted to distribute cheque equally among the president and his rival candidate. He said when the bar president was Iqbal Sahiq, then governor Latif Khosa had given cheque to the incumbent president saying that the cheque should be given to the new president. Naseem Khosa told Dawn that Ms Gul wanted to give the cheque to the next bar president.

Ms Gul, however, rejected her involvement in the affair, saying that the matter belonged to the law ministry.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2020