Efforts being made to resolve row between lawyers, KP health dept over plot

By Akhtar Amin

PESHAWAR: The district administration has started negotiations to avoid a clash between the lawyer community and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department employees over a piece of land and resolve the issue peacefully.

An official of the District Commissioner Office, Peshawar, told The News that Deputy Commissioner Islam Zeb and assistant commissioners along with Superintendent of Police Cantonment Waseem Riaz held a meeting with Peshawar Bar Association President Fazal Wahid and other office-bearers to resolve the matter peacefully.

The dispute arose over one kanal plot of land when some lawyers wanted to place their desks for their clients at the site adjacent to the area already in the use of lawyers which has shops and desks where they are attending the clients.

The plot is located at the back of the Health Department. It has a workshop for vehicles and car parking for the employees of Health Department. The employees have made a temporary place for prayers on the plot as well.

On Monday last, the district administration stopped both the lawyers and the Health Department from using the plot till a decision. Both the lawyers and employees of the Health Department were trying to occupy the place by force.

Director General, Health Services Department, Muhammad Ayub Roz, said the plot of land was the property of the Health Department and had been in its use for years.

On the other hand, Peshawar Bar Association President Fazal Wahid told The News that it was the property of Peshawar Bar Association. He said some time ago the place was not in the use of the lawyers and had been given to the UN for the use. He said after a rocket attack there, the UN vacated the place and the Health Department employees were allowed to use the land for car parking and prayer.

Due to increase in the strength of the lawyers and shortage of space with the bar, the lawyers are preparing the place for attending the clients. "We want a peaceful solution to the dispute and that is why sat with the Peshawar deputy commission and district and sessions judge to decide the issue through negotiations," the bar president said, insisting it was not the property of the Health Department.

He said the lawyers wanted the government to shift the attached departments to other places and transfer all the courts situated in Hayatabad here for the convenience of the litigants and lawyers.

On the other hand, the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) has also moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC), seeking disqualification of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak for not honouring the grant pledge. The lawyers body claimed that under Articles 62 and 63 of Constitution, the chief minister was no more Sadiq and Ameen as he couldn't honour his announcement of Rs10 million grant to the bar.