Islamabad: The Pakistan Bar Council has expressed reservations over the decision by the Punjab government to provide interest-free loans to 11 judges.
The Pakistan Bar Council stated in its statement that the action by the Punjab government is unethical and illegal. It has caused significant damage to the state treasury, and the approval of loans through public funds is not permissible.
The statement mentioned that while loans with interest rates of 20 to 25 percent are being imposed on the poor, the judges are receiving interest-free loans along with their salaries and benefits. This practice of providing loans to them goes against ethical standards. The Pakistan Bar Council demanded that the loan process for the 11 judges be considered discriminatory and unjust, and the Punjab government should withdraw the notification.
The economic situation is already dire, and the public is facing inflation. It should be noted that a notification was issued by the Punjab government yesterday, granting approval for loans exceeding 36 crores to 11 judges of the Lahore High Court. According to the notification, these loans will be interest-free, and the judges will repay the loan within a period of 12 years without interest.
The 11 judges receiving interest-free loans include Justice Ras-ul-Hasan Syed, Shakeel Ahmed, Muhammad Tariq Nadeem, Amjad Rafique, Abid Hussain Chatha, Anwar Hussain, Ali Zia Bajwa, Rahil Kamran, Ahmed Nadeem Arshad, Safdar Saleem Shahid, and Reza Qureshi.