Hot Kisses (of Tea) Declared Unacceptable

I'm not even going to try to comment on this news report in today's Dawn other than to say that:

1) Such a masterpiece of double-entendre and unintentional hilarity comes along only once in a while outside of the 'regional correspondent' reports

2) There seems to be a running joke (confusion?) about the word 'bar' in the report, which is, imho, brilliant.

Enjoy.

Tea banned in the library of a bar

By Nasir Iqbal

Wednesday, 13 Jan, 2010

        

ISLAMABAD, Jan 12: A circular issued by the newly-elected president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Qazi Anwar banning tea in the bar’s library has been meekly accepted by the members but left bad taste in many mouths.

 

Though meekly, the members have accepted the ban. Many of them however wondered who and what prompted the ban.

 

“Granted the library is not exactly the place to have tea, but it would be childish to see a storm in the tea cups consumed there,” said one member. Non-drinkers felt “the loose talk” the tea drinkers indulged in brought the ban.

 

Soon after its issuance, the circular instantly become talk of the bar with divergent views, some appreciating while some being critical of the contents of the letter.

 

In fact chit chat over a cup of tea between senior lawyers namely Sharifuddin Pirzada, Akram Sheikh, Ahmed Raza Qasuri, Mohammad Ibrahim Satti and former Islamabad High Court judge Munir Paracha but perceived as a meeting gave an excuse to the SCBA president to clamp the ban.

 

That is why the circular issued by the SCBA president also find mention the names of the worthy lawyers who were caught discussing hot issues that revolved around the judiciary and the Supreme Court.

 

Axe also fell on the poor librarian when a show-cause was issued against her for allowing the senior lawyers to enjoy hot kisses of tea inside the library.

 

“Rules are rules and I will obey the fresh instructions,” Advocate Ahmed Raza Qasuri said though explaining he rarely sits inside the library.

 

Talking to Dawn he said he had always believed in discipline and rules of the bar or a club and would definitely follow the same. These are the mark of civilised nations, he emphasised.

 

Similarly Ibrahim Satti also agreed that tea should not be served inside the library but explained that since senior counsel like Sharifuddin Pirzada who seldom comes to the library had come so he was offered the tea as a courtesy.

 

Advocate Roy Mohammad Nawaz Kharral also appreciated the decision of the association’s president lamenting that for quite some time the bar library had become a hang out place where one came across all kind of views on different topics of the day. “Libraries are sacred places for reading books where law points should be discussed. Irrelevant debates like these are an insult to learning and knowledge,” he said complaining that some members were even using shelves and almirah inside the library for keeping tea, sugar or milk pots.

 

What to talk of reading case histories when it had become difficult to read even newspapers inside the library, he deplored accusing some senior members of treating the library as their personal office.

 

But some lawyers on condition of anonymity also expressed their reservation on the manner in which the circular was issued saying the letter is out of sync with the sentiments of the bar.

 

They suspect that the circular has been issued to please someone or on the behest of some bigwigs.

Bigwigs. Geddit?