LAHORE: The Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) has cancelled legal practice licences of seven lawyers and also got criminal cases registered against them for getting enrolled as professionals on the basis of fake law degrees.

These fake lawyers include two brothers of Lahore – Liaqat Ali and Shafaqat Ali – Saleem Akhtar of Taxila, Rana Mazhar Ali Khan of Sheikhupura, Salman Ismail, Syed Qasim Ali Shah and Asim Murtaza of Lahore.

Civil Lines police registered cases against them on the bar’s complaint.

Bar’s executive committee also suspended the licences of 12 members of Dunyapur Bar Association, Lodhran district, on charges of misconduct. Bar president had filed a complaint against its secretary and 11 other members for taking over the bar “unlawfully”.

These lawyers include Malik Amjad Husain Uttra, Nadeem Saqlain, Sabir Rakhia, Syed Jamshed Ali Shah, Rana Fayyaz Azeemi, Malik Muhammad Javed Iqbal Arain, Qasim Khan Baloch, Maher Ijaz Jattial, Malik Muhammad Nasir, Shaukat Ali Ramay, Malik Irshad Husain Uttra and Nasir Ali Karnali.

The bar sought explanation from the lawyers by Aug 8.

Taking action on a reference filed by Lawyers Lodges Committee, the PbBC also suspended licences of Rana Mujahid, Amir Zulfiqar, Zahoor Ahmad, Farrukh Imdad, Shahid and Zainul Abideen Chahal for not vacating the rooms of the lawyers lodges situated on Begum Road. The matter is fixed for hearing on Aug 8.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2015

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