Lawyers-district courts staff row intensifies

NOWSHERA: The row between the lawyers and staff of local courts intensified as latter on Tuesday boycotted the duty while the formers demanded removal of a computer operator of a family court.

The dispute started after a senior lawyer Irfanuddin and computer operator of a family court Haroon exchanged hot words over a minor issue on December 21 last. Later, efforts were made to reconcile the two but it could not bore fruit. The row was intensified after Haroon refused to apologise to the lawyer and he and some lawyers again exchanged harsh words with him.

The lawyers then called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. The meeting through a joint resolution demanded suspension of Haroon from service and an investigation into the matter.

They dispatched copies of the resolution to Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC) Yahya Afridi, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council president and judge of the district and sessions courts Nowshera as well.

Haroon said the issue was started after he referred a woman, who had a case under trial at a family court against her husband, to a woman magistrate which annoyed the lawyer Irfanuddin and they exchanged harsh words after an argument.

District Bar Clerk Association President Shah Hussain said the clerical staff had boycotted the duty, adding an application had been submitted to the district and sessions court about the matter.