Bar bodies reps meet Fawad Ch

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Monday said that electoral reforms were a need of the hour to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country.

He said electronic voting would guarantee transparent and fair elections. He was talking to delegations of District Bar Rawalpindi, Lahore High Court Bar Rawalpindi Bench, Punjab Bar Council and High Court Bar Multan Bench here. The legal community called for the use of technology to make elections transparent and demanded that the government should provide electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the upcoming bar association elections. The legal community praised the government move to push ahead with electoral reforms.

Fawad said that the government was aware of the problems of lawyer community and solving those problems was its top priority. He said, “My family is known for politics or advocacy.” He said professional loans would be provided to lawyers, while lawyers below the age of 45 years would be provided easy loans up to Rs1 million under the Successful Youth Programme for building their chambers”. The minister contended that the Prime Minister's New Pakistan Housing Scheme for lawyers and journalists was considering a proposal to provide a loan up to Rs6 million for a house up to 10 marlas and added that talks had been held with Federal Minister Asad Umar for setting up of vaccination centres in high courts and sessions courts.

He said efforts would also be made to provide health cards to journalists and lawyers. On a request of the housing society for lawyers of Rawalpindi division, the minister promised arranging a meeting of lawyers with the commissioner Rawalpindi.

He said the future era was digital, and modern technology and reforms were necessary to strengthen the legal system, and workshops would also be organised to make lawyers familiar with the modern technology. Lawyers welcomed the idea.

Among those who met the minister were High Court Bar Rawalpindi President Abdul Razzaq Khan, General Secretary Shehzad Ali Bhatti and others. The District Bar Rawalpindi delegation included President Rizwan Akhtar Awan and General Secretary Imran Yousuf Niazi, Vice President Ansar Mehboob, Joint Secretary Ayesha Ishtiaq, Executive Members Sidra Ashraf Rana, Ruqiya, Sajid Tanoli, Akmal Abbasi, Babar Naveed, Junaid Akhtar, Tauqeer Mahmood, Sakhawat Hussain Shah, Finance Secretary Ghias and Library Secretary Amjad Awan.

The delegation of Punjab Bar Council was led by Basharat Khan, Asad Mehmood Abbasi, Chaudhry Asif Mehmood Lakhan, Farrukh Arif Bhatti and Tawfiq Asif Bhatti while the delegation of High Court Bar Multan was led by President Malik Sajjad Haider and General Secretary Syed Riaz.