LAHORE, Oct 23: The Lahore High Court has admitted a writ petition questioning the bar on legal practitioners contained in the Federal Ombudsman’s Order, 1983.

Petitioner-lawyer Abdul Waheed Khan Chidhaa asserted that the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973, empowered the advocates enrolled by the councils to appear before any tribunal.

The federal ombudsman was also a tribunal under the law and practising lawyers were entitled to appear before it.

However, the petitioner said, Section 10 (6) of the Establishment of Wafaqi Mohtasib Order, allowed ‘everybody except a practising lawyer’ to plead the case of an aggrieved person. This is in direct conflict with Section 22 (2) of the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act.

It is also an infringement of the fundamental right of lawyers to practice their profession. Besides, it deprived the federal ombudsman of the services and assistance of legal experts.

Admitting the petition, Justice Karamat Nazir Bhandri ordered that the federal ombudsman’s office be issued notice for an unspecified date.

On an urgent application for a provisional direction for lawyers’ appearance before the ombudsman, the judge directed that a notice be issued for an early date.

The petitioner was advised to implead the Punjab and Pakistan Bar Councils.