SCBA secretary says president ‘illegally seized whole office, record’

ISLAMABAD: The newly-elected secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Salman Mansoor on Monday alleged that association’s President Mian Rauf Atta has illegally seized the whole office, taking over all the record of secretary’s office.

Talking to reporters here at the Supreme Court, Mansoor said that on the directives issued by the SCBA president, all administrative offices have been closed, adding that Atta issued order on a phone call.

He alleged that the president had illegally taken over control of all SCBA offices, including secretary’s office, and has taken over all the record in his possession. He further said that Atta has telephonically issued directives not to obey any order passed by the secretary.

Salman Mansoor said that the Supreme Court had sought suggestions from the SCBA for making amendments in SC Rules. “In this respect I had directed the office of SCBA issue circular in this regard but the president directed that no circular will be issued in the name of secretary,” he alleged.

He claimed that the SCBA president office is a ceremonial post while the secretariat of the association is controlled by the secretary. So, he said, it would be better that the president should play his role and let the secretary to do his job.

It is pertinent to mention here that Mian Atta belonging to Independent group was recently elected as SCBA president, while Salman Mansoor was elected as secretary from Professional group. Both the office-bearers have different political stance over the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

Recently, The SCBA president had disassociated himself from a statement issued by the secretary the other day saying that the unauthorised statement appeared to align with a specific political stance does not reflects the association’s position.

In a statement issued on November 14, Mian Atta said that the statement was issued by Secretary Salman Mansoor, without the approval of the 27th Executive Committee. He had further stated that SCBA approves the 26th Constitutional Amendment recently passed by Parliament, as it is in line with the recommendations of the Pakistan Bar Council(PBC) and the then SCBA Executive Committee.

He had further stated that the role of the Secretary, as defined by the SCBAP Rules of 1989, is primarily that of record-keeping, acting under the direction of the President or the Executive Committee.