Distribution of funds: Law Ministry working to amends rules, regulations

After unauthorised distribution of millions of rupees among small bar associations throughout the country, the law ministry is now working to bring amendments to rules and regulations, seeking discretionary powers for the ministry to directly disburse welfare funds to district bar associations.
Sources told Business Recorder that the issue came to the limelight, when the Auditor General raised audit objection during a Departmental Audit Committee (DAC) meeting on the issue of funds distribution by the ministry of law to various bar associations.
According to auditor general office, under existing rules, the law ministry can not distribute welfare funds among small bar associations at district and tehsil levels, bypassing the five bar councils which include Pakistan Bar Council and four provincial bar councils of the country.
The law secretary, who is also principal accounting officer of the concerned ministry, will be held responsible for violation of the laid down rules and regulations, for which the ministry is contemplating to save the skin of law secretary by brining certain amendments to the existing law.
Well placed sources said the ministry is bringing certain changes to the existing rules of business after serious objections were raised by auditor general office during special audit of its accounts for the year 2010-11. The sources further disclosed that the amendment bill was being pursued vigorously by secretary ministry of law, who has been reappointed after reaching superannuation, by the ministry. Currently, the work on the bill is underway it will soon be submitted to National Assembly's standing committee on law and justice for consideration.
The sources went on saying that the bill will easily sail through the standing committee, which is being headed by Begum Nasim Akhtar, a Pakistan People's Party (PPP) lawmaker. The sources maintained the matter was discussed in departmental audit committee (DAC) of ministry of law and justice. When the matter of disbursement of special welfare funds released directly to the district and tehsil bar associations came up, the audit termed it unauthorised disbursement.
Audit pointed out that under rules and regulations, the law ministry is authorised to limit the disbursement of funds to five bar councils of the country. The responsibility of the councils is to further identify such bar associations which deserve welfare funds.
In the meeting, sources said the secretary law and justice admitted before the officials of audit that the objection is correct but ministry of law was working to amend the existing laws to empower the ministry to directly distribute funds at grassroots level. The law secretary reportedly said the amendment will also help in settling the concerned audit para.
The special audit was carried out after the reports that the incentives were being offered to lawyers including legal advisories to different government departments and huge amount of funds apparently for the welfare of the bar associations. It has been reported that the government placed generous funds at the disposal of law ministry to distribute among the lawyers' associations of different tiers.