Changing BISP name: LHC issues notices on Kaira plea to become party to case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued notices on an application, filed by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira to become party to a pending matter related to changing of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) name. Representing Kaira, Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Abid Saqi appeared before the court. He stated that on a previous hearing, the BISP director general had said that funds had been distributed among affectees of Covid-19 pandemic under the new name of Ehsaas Programme. He pointed out that the director general had failed to give any satisfactory answer when the court had asked him whether the BISP name had been changed. He said the court, on a previous hearing, had also questioned the legitimacy of the Ehsaas programme and summoned the BISP secretary to explain the situation. Saqi said the petitioner, being the first chairman of BISP, was in a position to assist the court on the matter in an appropriate manner. Therefore, he asked the court to allow the application and let the petitioner become a necessary party to the case. Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan heard the arguments and issued notices to other parties in the main case for June 24. The main petition was filed by Lahore High Court Bar Association Secretary Haroon Dugal against lack of government support to lawyers, badly hit by the pandemic related lockdown. Dugal pleaded that lawyers had been suffering from financial crisis since the pandemic lockdown had been imposed. He said the government decided to support all people of all segments affected by the lockdown and earmarked funds for them. He asked the court to order the federal government to provide financial support to lawyers and establish a fund to this effect.