ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The National Assembly on Wednesday passed Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill 2016 to further amend Bar Council and Legal Practitioners Act 1973.
The bill moved by the Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid provides that the federal government and provincial governments may make grants-in-aid to Pakistan Bar Council, Islamabad Bar Council, Provincial Bar Councils and the Bar Associations as they may deem fit, having regard to the total number of advocates on the roll of Bar Council or Bar Associations and in certain cases keeping in view also the requirements of a particular Bar Council or Association in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
This bill also seeks to rectify an anomaly created by the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Act 2014 wherein the number of seats for Punjab Bar Council in the said act had remained un-amended.
Moreover, for the benefit of the lawyers community, it is proposed to bring Bar Councils and Associations in the ambit of federal grants. The grants shall be made having regard to the total number of advocates on the roll of Bar Councils or Bar Associations and in certain cases keeping also in view the requirements of a particular Bar Council or Bar Association in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
