Govt to release Rs32m for Rawalpindi Bar Association

January 02, 2026 (MLN): The federal government will disburse Rs32 million next week to the Rawalpindi Bar Association as the first installment of financial assistance for lawyers affected by the Kachehri remodeling project.

The move came alongside the implementation of the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments that have restructured the judicial framework, Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said.

Addressing the Rawalpindi Bar Association, the minister said the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments led to the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court, according to the press release.

The court is a 13-member body comprising judges from all four provinces and Islamabad.

He said the court is intended to strengthen constitutional adjudication, promote balanced provincial representation and improve transparency in the judicial system.

On the Kachehri remodeling project, Tarar said 64 lawyers’ chambers were demolished or affected during the renovation.

Under the approved package, the federal government will provide Rs500,000 per chamber, with Rs32m to be transferred to the Bar’s account by next week.

He added that the Punjab government would also extend compensation through a mutually agreed mechanism in line with constitutional principles and the rule of law.

The minister said coordination between the government and bar representatives helped resolve the disruption caused by the project.

He reiterated that bar associations and bar councils should remain independent of political influence, emphasizing that professional performance rather than political affiliation should determine leadership within the legal community.

He also highlighted broader judicial and legal reforms, including improvements in legal education and the Law Graduate Assessment Test (Law-GAT).

The measures are aimed at raising professional standards and addressing longstanding concerns such as non-functional law colleges.

Earlier, Rawalpindi Bar Association President Sardar Manzar Bashir outlined the difficulties faced by lawyers following the demolition of chambers due to the Kachehri remodeling project.

Secretary Asad Mahmood Malik, Senior Lawyer Pakistan Bar Council, Ahsan Bhoon and other senior lawyers senior also spoke at the event.

Copyright Mettis Link News