PBC tribunal hears cases against 16 lawyers

The tribunal suspends advocates and cancels their licences for possession of bogus degrees and misconduct.

LAHORE:

A Punjab Bar Council tribunal on Saturday heard cases against 16 lawyers accused of possessing bogus degrees and of misconduct.

The tribunal was headed by Lahore High Court’s Justice Najamul Hasan. Zafar Mahmood Mughal and Muhammad Lahrasib Khan Gondal were its other members.

The licence of Advocate Zafar Ali Khan from Lahore was suspended till the next hearing on November15. Three complaints had been lodged against him.

The tribunal asked the Punjab Law College (PLC) principal to appear in person at the next hearing to answer allegations that Advocate Rizwan Israr Razi of Gujrat was issued a bogus result card. It directed the Punjab University examinations controller to start an inquiry and identify the officials involved in tampering with the university record on which the PLC issued Razi a provisional certificate.

The tribunal directed the Civil Lines (Lahore) Investigation DSP to appear before the tribunal to answer why proceedings have not been initiated against Mushtaq Ahmad Naeem Advocate from Toba Tek Singh. Naeem had been declared a proclaimed offender by the investigation officer.

The tribunal cancelled the licence of Anjum Sohail Maan Advocate from Sheikhupura after he admitted that his documents were bogus. He pleaded that the tribunal “take a lenient view” of the matter. The tribunal cancelled his licence and the certificate issued by Punjab Bar Council (PBC) declaring him an advocate. He was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 15,000 to the PBC within a week and present the receipt at the next hearing.

The tribunal directed the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) deputy examinations controller to appear in the next hearing with the record of Ahsanullah Advocate from Layyah, whose degree he declared was bogus.

A BZU assistant controller told the tribunal the degree was valid.

The tribunal also directed the BZU controller to present the original record of Abdul Majeed Advocate from Lahore to verify his degree.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2012.