On Tuesday, March 26, 2023, Advocate Shafqat Abbas Tarar, Secretary of Islamabad High Court Bar Association was invited to the ‘Dialogue with Experts’ program hosted by Advocate Zaildar Ahsan Shah at FM 101, Radio Pakistan.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah firstly thanked him for his appearance in the show which he replied by saying it is an honor for him to be in the show that Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah conducts. Afterward, Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah congratulated him for winning the election unopposed in the Islamabad High Court Bar Association as a Secretary.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah then asked him about his educational background and journey in law, leading up to his current role as the Secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association. He responded I belong to Faisalabad District, Jaranwala. I am from the Tarar family, which migrated from Mandi Bahuddin. I completed my early education and LLB in District Jaranwala. After LLB, I started my practice in Islamabad.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah asked him, as a lawyer, how important do you think guidance is from senior lawyers for those who are starting their careers in law? He answered, that we always learn from our teachers or experts. In law, we learn from experienced lawyers how to interact with clients and handle all aspects of everything. The guidance of senior experts is what shapes us into good lawyers. They have been through a lot and know what they do, so listen to them. Their advice can help you find your way to success and happiness.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah further asked him, which qualities make you a good lawyer? He answered, always learn from your seniors. What I have learned in law is a commitment to your clients and not deceiving the court. When you deceive the court, judges always remember the deceit, and you will always feel guilty. So, not deceiving the court and being committed to your clients make you a good lawyer.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah asked him, to kindly tell us about the background and tribe of the Tarar family. He replied The Tarar family’s lineage belongs to the Jutt family. Tarar is a branch of the Jutt family, much like other branches such as Waraich, Sindo, and Maan. Our tribe originates from District Mandi Bahuddin and District Hafizabad. We have connections to both districts, and we inhabit approximately 172 villages near the River Chenab. Notable figures from our tribe include Minister of Law Azam Nazir Tarar, Former President of Pakistan Muhammad Rafiq Tarar, and his grandson, the current Federal Minister of Information, Attaullah Tarar, who all belong to District Mandi Bahoddin. In our tribe, there is a strong emphasis on education, with members pursuing careers in various fields including medicine, engineering, and law. Females also shine in their respective fields within the Tarar family.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah asked him how he won the unopposed election in the Islamabad High Court Bar Association. He answered, that in bar politics, you have to win the hearts of the legal fraternity it is a relationship built on mutual respect and love. It is not a difficult task if you genuinely respect your fraternity. As you know, our district bar comprises over 9000 members, and although they are not part of the High Court Bar Association, we always collaborate and work together. My success in the unopposed election is attributed to my group, as well as the support of group leaders like Mr. Raja Aleem Abbassi Vice Chairman of Islamabad Bar Council, Mr. Haroon ur Rashid X-Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council, and Mr. Qazi Adil sitting vice Chairman. The key principle is to respect your friends. I scored less than 1000 votes in my last district bar election, but I do not hold grudges against those who didn’t vote for me instead, I am grateful to everyone. This time, everyone showed me respect and support by casting their votes for me, leading to my victory in the unopposed election.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah asked him, I understand that everyone in your group trusts you, but how did the other group build trust in you? He responded it is a very easy thing if you give love and respect to everyone then they trust you.
When you show love even to your adversary, they are also compelled to respect you. Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah further expressed Every lawyer of the Islamabad High Court Bar has acknowledged you for winning this unopposed election. No greater victory can be achieved than this. May Allah bless you with further ease and prosperity. You are our respect you are our pride.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah asked him, it is an important question as the secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar. What are the roles and responsibilities of the Secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar, and how will you manage everything as the Secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association? He answered that the Position of Secretary Islamabad High Court Bar is the important responsibility of the association. The main responsibility of the Secretary is to facilitate a legal fraternity and resolve all their issues. I need to resolve the issues of the legal fraternity with both the public, as well as judiciary, by consulting with my cabinet and the President.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah appreciates him for facilitating the legal fraternity. In the past, he has done similar things, and in the future, he will continue to do so.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah further asked him if this responsibility was difficult for you. He replied I am a Zamindar (landholder), we bear a great deal of responsibility for resolving issues, so I know how to handle the responsibilities. As a lawyer, I understand the issues of Legal fraternity, and we also face the issues that lawyers encounter. I did try to ensure that their problems are resolved quickly.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah asked him the question of serious concern regarding the issues related to litigation and biometric system in high courts, he asked him what steps has he taken to address these issues secondly in connection to that he also raised the issue about the parking area which is under construction and due to rubble it causes many difficulties in parking and the clothes also get dirty due to dust? In response to these questions he first addressed the first question regarding the issue of the biometric system by saying that the system of biometrics was introduced by the high court because due to some past confrontations where petitioners refused to accept the case file, the high court then recommends of start the biometric system so that the person who file the case must have the biometric verification first so that he could not refuse it in the end. But then people who wanted to file the case had to come to the high court for biometrics which eventually became the bigger hurdle and it was difficult for the people of far-flung areas to cover that much distance just for the biometric. To solve this issue, he said with the help of President Riasat Ali Azad High Court bar Association and Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court it was proposed to use the e-service of Nadra which is available in every city and it will be easy for everyone to get the biometric verification from nearby Nadra sahulat center and file a case with attached biometric copy which is a major milestone.
In answer to the second question he said the parking area is still under construction and the federal government is taking a huge interest in the pacing of the process of construction he claimed that in the coming 4 or 5 months there will be the availability of double basement parking with the space of parking for 378 cars which is huge. We also got permission to enter the lawyer’s vehicles from the constitutional avenue side and the association employees are deployed with the duty to give the lawyers and litigants to facilitate them with parking. On this, Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah appreciates his effort.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah asked him we observed that Pakistan has experienced political unrest for some time, which has intensified recently. Now, after the elections, the government has assumed its portfolios and the situation is improving. In this context, what should be the role of a lawyer? As the secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, are you satisfied with the role of lawyers? He responded that the lawyer movement stands as the largest movement in Pakistan, with lawyers from all over the country participated. Their livelihoods were significantly affected. When starting my practice, I witnessed my seniors and friends facing numerous difficulties due to court closures. Despite these hardships, the lawyers participated in the movement, which proved successful. Lawyers consistently advocate for the rule of law and supremacy of Constitution. They have always stood up for the rule of law, and they will continue to do so in the future.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah asked him, could you shed some light on the field in which you are practicing and what is your area of expertise? He replied my specialized field is civil law. In Islamabad, I primarily engage in civil law practice and handle associated legal matters as well. we also handle family cases, and rental cases, also practice in other tribunals. The population of Islamabad has also increased significantly. There is a lot of rush in the family court.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah finally asked him about his routine during Ramadan. He inquired about the difference between his normal and Ramadan routine, as well as what he eats for sehri and iftar He responded, as a secretary of Islamabad high court, I remain active all the time for my legal fraternity. If someone has any issue at any time about anything then I will definetly go to help them. I mostly enjoy having iftar and sehri at home. During iftar, I eat everything, especially homemade Onion Fritter (Pakoras), and I like mix vegetables and Pakistani famous dish Aloo Ghost for dinner.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah told him to give a message to the audience. He said the beauty of this country is exceptional, and the comfort of living in one’s homeland is incomparable. Provide good upbringing to children and teach the Constitution to your children by explaining its importance and values and engage them in discussions about how it shapes our rights and responsibilities as citizens. I believe this is a continuous process and through it. We can ensure our survival in a successful society.
Mr. Zaildar Ahsan Shah is an Advocate and Managing Director, Elaan Research Center, Islamabad.
