The two group of lawyers lock the horns over the issue of lawye’s hostel in the capital territory. Notably, the two lawyer wings are on the same page regarding the presidential references seeking the removal of two superior courts judges – Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice K K Agha.
Asma Jahangir’s Independent Lawyers Group lays the blame on the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Amanullah Kanrani for massive corruption in affairs of the hostel.
Basically, Kanrani belongs to Hamid Khan Group, which is also known as the Professional Lawyers Group.
In 2011, the Pakistan Peoples Party’s government granted SCBA a plot due to the efforts of then SCBA president Asma Jahangir on which a beautiful hostel was constructed with the cost of Rs1 billion.
In 2014, the SCBA invited bids from private parties to convert the facility into a hotel as the hostel was not a financially viable project for the lawyers’ body. Later, a five-star hotel was established there which paid around Rs3.5 million every month to the SCBA as part of a contract.
However, SCBA engaged private companies that converted the facility into a five star hotel which used to bring approximately Rs. 3.5 million every month to the hands of SCBA as per the provisions of the contract. It was done since the project was not feasible for the lawyer community.
Later erupted a conflict between the two lawyers groups, when the SCBA president, Kanrani, canceled the lease of the five-star hotel in the month of May.
Asma Janhagir Group members reveal that instead of giving the contract to any new party, SCBA president himself took over the hostel administration.
They alleged that the hostel is being run by SCBA president’s own staff since May. Furthermore, the hotel has failed to gather funds and due to which the SCBA has faced Rs8.7 million loss in the last five months.
Notably, the SCBA General Secretary Azmatullah Chaudhry launched a campaign against the SCBA president over the charge of corruption. As a result, the SCBA general body in its meeting suspended Kanrani as SCBA President.
However, Balochistan High Court (BHC) restored him back to power by suspending the general body meeting decision.
Kanrani is expected to approach the apex court against BHC order soon. It is also learned that the majority of SCBA executive members are also backing Kanrani in hostel matter.
Meanwhile, SCBA Amanullah Kanrani completely rejected the allegations of corruption/ irregularities in hostel affairs. He said that he is also willing to conduct a third-party audit. he further maintained that why the opponent group remained silent for the last ten months.
In brief, he said he believed that the Asma Group was targeting him to get favor in the upcoming SCBA election scheduled for October 30.
