‘Legal’ transformations: Lawyers eye old bakhshi khana for office space

By Rana Yasif

Published: July 15, 2011

Lawyers battle among each other for big - cozy - roomy, office space.

LAHORE:  While the official word is that the old bakhshi khana of the Model Town Courts will be converted into two courtrooms, several groups of lawyers are preparing to occupy the old building to set up their own offices.

The district and sessions judge told The Express Tribune last week that three judicial magistrates operating from the same room at the court complex would be given their own rooms at the old bakhshi khana. But several lawyers at the courts said that a battle to take over the space for chambers was heating up.
“We will fight to set up our chambers there,” said Advocate Azmat Zia Sindhu, who heads one group of lawyers eyeing the old building. “If the LBA [Lahore Bar Association] tries to stop us, we will resist. This place should be for lawyers’ chambers.”
He said that LBA vice president (Model Town) Mian Muhammad Hafeez was also trying to occupy the building for offices for his associates.
Advocate Shahid Meo leads a group of 15-20 young lawyers also looking to set up offices at the old bakhshi khana. “We met with the Model Town vice president to ask for accommodation but he turned a deaf ear. We have seen that those lawyers who are associated with LBA cabinet representatives are accommodated and allowed to occupy any space in the court complex. The rest don’t get anything,” he said. “Enough is enough.”
Meo too said that Hafeez and his associates were among those battling for the old building.
“That’s no place for courtrooms,” said Advocate Muhammad Asif, an associate of Hafeez. “There will be lawyers’ chambers built there.”
Hafeez told The Express Tribune that old bakhshi khana would be converted into chambers for advocates only if new courtrooms were constructed in front of the new bakhshi khana instead. He denied making any plans to occupy the building for his associates.
LBA president Shehzad Hassan Shaikh insisted that new courtrooms, not chambers, would be built at the site.
A few months ago, some lawyers fired guns in the air to dissuade a group of lawyers from attempting to construct chambers on a lawn in front of the old bakhshi khana. The management also stopped some lawyers from building their chambers in front of the courts complex.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2011.

Job creation: Yellow Cabs get official nod

Published: July 15, 2011

16,000 Suzuki Mehrans and 4,000 Suzuki Bolans will be distributed. An ad will be published in newspapers on July 15 regarding details. PHOTO:FILE

LAHORE:  The Punjab cabinet on Thursday formally approved the Yellow Cab Scheme. Under the Scheme, 20,000 vehicles will be distributed among jobless youth. Forty per cent of these have been allocated for Southern Punjab.

Computerised balloting for the distribution of vehicles will be held in the presence of news media.
The cabinet also accorded approval to a draft bill for an amendment in Section 17(4) of the Government Servants Housing Foundation Act, 2004.
The Punjab Information Technology Board chairman gave a detailed briefing regarding websites of various departments for the promotion of e-government in the province.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif said that the government was undertaking a comprehensive programme for the elimination of poverty and unemployment from the province.
He said that the Yellow Cab Scheme would not only help reduce unemployment but will also promote local industry and provide better transport facilities.
Sharif said that under the scheme, 2,500 vehicles will be distributed among the winners of the draw every month for eight months. He said that people having intermediate or equivalent academic qualification will be eligible to apply for the scheme.
Application forms will be available from all branches of the Bank of Punjab as well as the website of the Transport Department and the Bank of Punjab. Successful applicants will have to make a 20 per cent down payment at the time of delivery. The remaining amount is to be paid in monthly installments. A low-markup loan facility at will be offered by the Bank of Punjab.
He said the Akhuwat Foundation representatives will be included in committees formed for the scrutiny of the particulars of successful applicants. Revenue staff like patwaris and tehsildars will have no role in the verification process.
The chief minister said that e-government was the need of the hour for a prompt solution of people’s problems and a comprehensive strategy had been adopted for this purpose.
He said the Punjab Police website should be developed along such lines that it should be helpful in redressing the grievances of the common man, monitoring efficiency of police stations and bringing about a positive change in police culture. He directed that a comprehensive plan be evolved for the website in consultation with the law minister, the law secretary and the inspector general of police and presented in the next cabinet meeting. He said that redressing the grievances of the people and providing them justice was the responsibility of the government and no effort should be spared in this regard.
Finance Secretary Tariq Bajwa said that 16,000 Suzuki Mehrans and 4,000 Suzuki Bolans will be distributed under the Yellow Cab Scheme. An advertisement will be published in newspapers on July 15 regarding details of the Scheme after which applications will be received.
The distribution of vehicles will start from the day after Eid from Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rawalpindi. He said that special number plates will be issued for Yellow Cabs.
These will carry the name of the district. Both men and women will be eligible under the scheme. Punjab Information Technology Board chairman Dr Javed Ghani informed the cabinet about the website of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and the Punjab Police and the measures taken for the promotion of e-government.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2011.