Pakistan Bar Council Free Legal Aid Rules — section 7

7. Pakistan Bar Council District Free Legal Aid Committees:

(a)In each District of a Province there shall be constituted a District Committee to be known as the Pakistan Bar Council District Free Legal Aid Committee for the District concerned and consisting of:

(i)Not more than one member of the Provincial Bar Council from the District concerned to be nominated by the [Central Free Legal Aid Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council.]

(ii)President and Secretary of the District Bar Association, respectively, by virtue of office. [(iii) Two Advocates of not less than three years standing at the Bar who should be members of the concerned Distt. Bar Association.]

(b)The District Committee shall provide free legal aid to a deserving person or a litigant in any Court or Tribunal or before any authority or Court functioning at the District level [or sub-divisional level.]

(c)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 and in case of fresh elections for the said post or in case of resignation from the said post or from the Membership of the Committee or in case the Member is unable to or incapable of performing his duties of such office or membership of the Committee, the seat shall be deemed to have fallen vacant and the vacancy shall be filled in by reference to the relevant provisions of para 7(a) above [except the members nominated from the Bar under clause (iii) of sub-rule (a) whose membership shall be subject to the substitution, if any, by the Central Free Legal Aid Committee]

(d)The Member of Provincial Bar Council of the District concerned, as nominated, shall be the Chairman of the District Committee whereas the Secretary of the concerned District Bar Association shall be the Secretary of the District Committee. In case of non-availability of Member of the Provincial Bar Council from the District concerned, the President of the District Bar Association will act as Chairman of the Committee. Explanation

(i)For Karachi, all the Districts of Karachi Division shall be deemed to be one District for the purposes of these Rules and the President and Secretary of Karachi Bar Association shall be the Member and the Secretary of the District Committee for Karachi.

(ii)If there are more than one Secretary of any District Bar Association, the Senior Secretary shall be deemed to be the Secretary for the purpose of these Rules.

(e)The decision of the Committee shall be taken by majority and [presence of its two members shall constitute the quorum of its meeting]. In case of urgency, the Chairman of District Committee will, however, be authorized to take a decision on receipt of an application subject to approval of the Committee in its next meeting.