Pakistan public defenders

Thousands of lawyers apply for public defender’s jobs

LAHORE: Thousands of lawyers have applied for 331 newly created posts of public defenders. The Law Department has made the posts to provide legal assistance to the poor across the province, a department official told Daily Times on Monday.

The official said that earlier additional secessions judges could appoint private public prosecutors in criminal cases for people who could not afford legal counsel. He said that under the new initiative the poor would be able to get public defenders for all litigations for free. He said the openings were for a chief public defender, seven additional public defenders, 36 district public defenders and 288 public defenders. He said that under the new initiative additional judges could appoint private public prosecutors for people who could not afford legal counsel. “The government is making efforts to improve the human rights condition in the province,” the official added.

Afzal Bashir Malik, a civil court lawyer from Lahore, said the selection procedure should be transparent. He also said the posts should be permanent.