PHC suspends lawyer over propaganda video

A single-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), headed by Chief Justice Justice SM Atiq Shah, has suspended the license of Liaqat Ali, a member of the Tehsil Bar Kabal, for disseminating unsubstantiated negative propaganda against judicial officers of the Swat district judiciary.

The court imposed an immediate ban on the advocate's entry into any courts and barred him from pursuing or appearing in cases until further orders. The matter has been forwarded to the Chairman of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council for necessary disciplinary proceedings.

In a written order issued Thursday, the court observed that Liaqat Ali had circulated a video on social media containing serious allegations against judicial officers in Swat. Taking suo motu notice of the viral content, the high court appointed Additional District and Sessions Judge Naser Khan as the inquiry officer to investigate the claims and establish the facts.

The inquiry revealed that the advocate failed to produce any concrete evidence or even identify the specific judicial officer targeted in the video. The court concluded that the action was intended solely to exert pressure on judicial officers, constituting professional misconduct.

"The said advocate took this step merely to pressurize judicial officers, which falls under the category of misconduct," the order stated. As a result, his practicing license stands suspended forthwith.