Pakistan Bar Council Free Legal Aid Rules — section 6

6. Pakistan Bar Council Provincial Free Legal Aid Committees:

(1)In each province of Pakistan there shall be constituted Provincial Committees to be known as Pakistan Bar Council Provincial Free Legal Aid Committees at the principal seat and at Benches/Circuits of the High Courts of Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Baluchistan, as the case may be, and consisting of:

(i)One Member of the Pakistan Bar Council from the Province concerned to be nominated by the Central Free Legal Aid Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council.

(ii)Not more than two members of the concerned Provincial Bar Council from amongst the Members hailing from the respective territorial jurisdiction of the High Court, to be nominated by the Central Free Legal Aid Committee.

(iii)Presidents and Secretaries of the High Court Bar Association at the principal seat and at the Benches/Circuits, as the case may be, by virtue of their offices.

(iv)Two Advocates of not less than five years standing at the Bar who should be Members of the concerned High Court Bar Association to be nominated by the Central Free Legal Aid Committee.

(v)The Member of the Pakistan Bar Council nominated under clause (i) above, shall be the Chairman of the concerned Committee whereas the Secretary of the High Court Bar Association concerned shall be the Secretary of the respective Committee.

(2)The decisions of the Committee shall be taken by majority and presence of its 3 Members shall constitute the quorum for its meetings. However, in case of urgency, the Chairman will be competent to take a decision on receipt of an application subject to formal approval of the Committee in its subsequent meeting.

(3)The concerned Committee will provide free legal aid to deserving person/litigant in the High Court and/or Tribunal, Authority or Court functioning at the provincial level including the Provincial Mohtasib, functioning within its territorial jurisdiction.

(4)The term of office of each member of the Committee shall be co-extensive with the term of office of such member by virtue of which he is on the Committee except the Members nominated from the Bar under clause (iv) of sub-rule (1) whose term of membership shall be subject to the substitution, if any, by the Central Free Legal Aid Committee: Provided that in case of fresh elections for the said post or resignation from the said post of membership of the Committee or in case the member is unable to or incapable of performing his duties of such office or membership of Committee, the seat shall be deemed to have fallen vacant and the vacancy shall be filled in by reference to the relevant provisions of Rule 6(1) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) and (v).]