LAHORE: The executive committee of the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) has restored practicing licence of Lahore High Court Bar Association-Multan chapter President Sher Zaman Qureshi, which was earlier suspended by a larger bench of the high court for his constant failure to join contempt proceedings against him.

The committee comprising Syed Farhad Ali Shah, Aziz Khan Punia and Arif Gurmani passed the order on a representation filed by Mr Qureshi challenging the LHC order.

In its decision, the committee rules that the high court had no power to initiate contempt proceedings against the bar president and suspend his licence.

It says the lawyers are governed under the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973 and no bar representative can be called in question before any court while working under the Act as well as related rules.

A LHC five-judge larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, would resume contempt proceedings against Advocate Qureshi on Sept 8. After issuing non-bailable warrants, the bench had directed the Multan regional police officer to ensure appearance of Mr Qureshi, the contemnor, before it.

The lawyers are at loggerheads with the high court since the initiation of contempt proceedings against Mr Qureshi. The bench had summoned the lawyers leader to defend charges of misbehaving a justice at Multan seat, obstructing court proceedings and resorting to rowdyism on the court premises.

Mr Qureshi never turned up while another lawyer involved in the case appeared before the larger bench and denied the charges.

On each hearing of the contempt case, supporters of the Multan bar president staged demonstrations on the court premises and also turned violent.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2017