KASUR, July 3 Some members of the Pattoki Tehsil Bar Association protested announcement of a Rs1 million grant by Federal Law Minister Babar Awan during his visit to the bar on Saturday.

An advocate, who recited a Na'at, refused to accept Rs50,000 award from the minister, saying it was highly inappropriate for him to accept the money as the government was trying to buy lawyers.

A group of lawyers after a walkout from the ceremony held a press conference, accusing the Pakistan People's Party-led federal government of creating a rift in the community by doling out money in the name of grants.

Earlier, addressing the TBA members, Babar Awan said the lawyers and the masses wanted democracy in the country while the Punjab government was stabbing the federal government. He urged the provincial government to take steps to control terrorism.

He said the lawyers had sacrificed for the rule of law and democracy. He said after the 18th Amendment, no dictator would ever dare overthrowing any democratic government.

He regretted that bars in small cities had always been ignored. He said the federal government would provide funds for the housing societies of lawyers, while the Punjab government should play its role in the welfare of the lawyers and provide lands for the societies. He said he was a well-wisher of the lawyers and no one could stop him from going to the bars.

Awan announced Rs1 million grant for the TBA and Rs200,000 for repairing sheds, computer lab and judicial lockup on the bar premises.

Later, Yasin Karam Ansari, an advocate who recited Na'at, refused to accept the Rs50,000 award announced by the minister.

“You are like an elder to me. You want to run the government by buying the lawyers. The divide and rule policy has turned into buy and rule policy,” the advocate told the minister as a mark of protest.

Later, talking to the media, Ansari said “Every lawyer is not a commodity to buy.” He said he had always recited Na'at in TBA ceremonies, but refused to take the money from the federal minister as the government was trying to bribe lawyers who had given sacrifices for the supremacy of rule of law in the country.

Earlier, over a dozen lawyers, led by former TBA secretary-general Raja Rustam Zaheer, walked out of the function to register their protest when Awan announced the grants.

Later, talking to reporters at his office, Zaheer condemned the government's move to buy loyalties of the lawyers who had selflessly strived for the restoration of the judiciary from 2007 to 2009.

Talking to Dawn, Zaheer said the PPP-led government was investing huge money to create a rift among the community members. He said the PML-Q government gave jobs to certain lawyers and separated them from the bar by appointing them state lawyers. But, the act of the PPP government was more heinous than the PML-Q government as the latter only provided jobs to some individuals and the former was distributing cash to achieve its goals.

He said it was amazing that the government that had failed to give any relief to the common man in budget was generously announcing grants for the bars.