MIANWALI, July 27: The district bar association was shocked to find that a Rs0.5 million cheque given to it on behalf of Punjab chief minister as grant-in-aid was `dishonoured’.

Reports said Chief Minister Pervez Elahi had invited the presidents of various district bar associations of the province to Lahore on June 14 to distribute grant-in-aid cheques among them. Accordingly, DBA president Liaqat Ali Malik attend the ceremony and received the cheque from provincial law minsitser Raj Basharat on behalf of the chief minister.

The cross cheque (B228672) was drawn by the DCO office in favour of the DBA.

However, when the association president sent the cheque for its encashment to the bank concerned, he was informed that the district accounts office had stopped the payment against the cheque on the basis of a letter (No.1645/DCO/HC) dated June 16,2006, issued by district officer (revenue). The bar president promptly contacted the DCO office to know as to what caused the stoppage of encashment of the cheque. The DCO office reportedly failed to answer the query.