BAHAWALPUR, Nov 12: Justice Jawad S. Khwaja of the Lahore High Court, Bahawalpur bench, has suspended the operation of the amendments to the Legal Practitioners Act made through an ordinance promulgated on Nov 6, 2004.

The judge directed that the election of the Punjab Bar Council should be held on Nov 30 as had been earlier scheduled. The amendments were suspended on a writ petition filed by Advocate Riaz Hanif, who challenged the recently amended ordinance and requested that the PBC election be held on a date earlier fixed.

The petitioner further submitted that the advocate-general was bound to hold elections by Nov 30, as the amendments were effective from the next year. The judge had summoned the Punjab AG for Nov 12, but he could not appear.

The judge suspended the amendment according to which polling for the bar council members was to be held on Dec 18, saying there was no change in the previous schedule. The next date for the hearing of writ petition has been fixed Nov 23.

JAHEZ CHEQUES: Punjab Baitul Maal Minister Chaudhry Ijaz Shafi distributed cheques of Jahez fund to the 20 deserving on behalf of the District Baitul Maal Committee at the circuit house on Friday.

The minister said on the occasion the government would provide financial help to the deserving students, widows and unemployed people. For this, he said, the amount meant for the student stipends and jahez fund had been doubled. He warned the officials of his department against corruption, saying they would not only be suspended from service but also prosecuted in a court of law.

Clarification

Opinion

Editorial

Collective security
Updated 12 Mar, 2026

Collective security

ERASING previously defined ‘red lines’, the brutal US-Israeli war on Iran has brought regional states face to...
Spectrum leap
12 Mar, 2026

Spectrum leap

THE sale of 480 MHz of fifth-generation telecom spectrum for $507m is a major milestone in Pakistan’s digital...
Toxic fallout
12 Mar, 2026

Toxic fallout

WARS can leave environmental scars that remain long after the fighting is over. The strikes on Iran’s oil...
Token austerity
Updated 11 Mar, 2026

Token austerity

The ‘austerity’ measures are a ritualistic response to public anger rather than a sincere attempt to reform state spending.
Lebanon on fire
11 Mar, 2026

Lebanon on fire

WHILE the entire Gulf region has become an active warzone, repercussions of this conflict have spread to the...
Canine crisis
11 Mar, 2026

Canine crisis

KARACHI’S stray dog crisis requires urgent attention. Feral canines can cause serious and lasting physical and...