NEW DELHI: : The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the All India Bar Association (AIBA) have urged the Centre not to succumb to international pressures and permit the entry of foreign law firms into India.

The SCBA president, P.H. Parekh, has drawn the attention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the setting up of a committee by the Union Commerce Ministry to consider opening up legal services to foreign law firms.

He said the committee comprised lawyers, most of whom had their own law firms and work from abroad and have tie-ups with foreign law firms.

Mr. Parekh said that the members of the Bar were agitated about the entry of foreign lawyers. Even if there were reciprocal arrangements, there would be practical difficulties for Indian law firms competing with foreign ones. There was an apprehension that big foreign law firms with their money power would control Indian ones.

Stating that the matter required in-depth deliberations before a final decision was taken, Mr. Parekh urged Dr. Singh to have an interaction with the members through their elected representatives. In a statement, the Chairman of AIBA, Adish C. Agarwala, and Vice Chairman S. Prabhakaran described the move as a "retrograde step."

They said the matter regarding entry of foreign lawyers into India should be carefully considered in consultation with the Bar Council of India, AIBA, SCBA, Bar Association of India, and other bodies of the legal profession.

Referring to the committee set up by the Commerce Ministry, they said this should not be left to the Ministry to decide. The Prime Minister's office should deal with this sensitive issue, which also concerned the judiciary.

They urged Dr. Singh to immediately drop any such move.

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