LHC seeks reply on suspension of Barrister Ali Ashfaq's licence
Pakistan
The court also directed a senior representative of the Bar Council to appear.
LAHORE (MUHAMMAD ASHFAQ) – The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued notices to the Punjab Bar Council and others, seeking their response by tomorrow on a petition challenging the suspension of the licence of Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq, counsel for Rajab Butt.
The court also directed a senior representative of the Bar Council to appear.
Justice Awais Khalid of the LHC heard the petition filed by Mian Ali Ashfaq. During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued that under the law governing the Bar Council, the authority to suspend a lawyer’s license rests with the Disciplinary Committee.
The court inquired as to who had suspended the license. The petitioner’s lawyer replied that the Chairman of the Executive Committee had suspended the license without giving the lawyer a hearing, despite lacking the authority to do so.
During the proceedings, the court questioned the Bar Council’s lawyer, asking whether action would be taken against any lawyer without first hearing them. The court observed that Article 10-A of the Constitution guarantees the right to a fair trial.
The court again issued notices to the Punjab Bar Council and others, seeking their response by tomorrow, and directed a senior Bar Council representative to appear. The court also instructed Assistant Advocate General Anwar Hussain to seek directions from the Advocate General.
The petitioner maintained that the Punjab Bar Council suspended his license without a hearing following an incident at the Karachi City Court, and requested the court to declare the suspension order null and void.
