KP Bar Council: PHC moved to seek lawyers representation for merged districts

PESHAWAR: Hearing a writ petition seeking representation for lawyers from merged districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday asked the federal and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to submit their comment in the case.

The two-member bench consisting of Justice Ikramullah and Justice Ijaz Anwar also directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and Pakistan Bar Council to submit their reply in this case.

Fawad Afzal Khan Safi Advocate filed the writ petition through Noor Alam Khan Advocate, seeking representation for the lawyers of merged tribal districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council.

The bench was informed that after the 25th Amendment to the Constitution the tribal areas adjacent to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were merged into the province.

After the merger the former tribal areas have been given constitutional status and, however, the lawyers from these tribal districts were still deprived of representation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council.

The petitioner requested the court that the federal as well as provincial governments and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan Bar Councils should be directed to give equal representation to the lawyers’ fraternity of tribal districts in these representative bodies of the lawyers.

The court asked the respondents to submit their replies and comments at the next hearing of this case.