ISLAMABAD: In response to the Pakistan Bar Council’s decision to suspend practising licence of Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem and send his case to the PBC disciplinary committee, the law ministry said on Thursday that he had never received notices from the council prior to the suspension of his licence.

Referring to media reports about alleged misconduct, the ministry said in a statement that till date no order had been received by Barrister Naseem, adding that the matter arose when an opponent faction of the PBC made an attempt to get him denotified with mala fide intention.

It said the attorney general had already decided the matter in favour of the law minister, declaring that he shall continue to hold the PBC membership. Against the order of the attorney general, the same PBC group had approached the Supreme Court which had dismissed their plea, the ministry said, adding that despite the orders of the attorney general and the apex court, a group of lawyers in the PBC had been passing adverse resolutions against Barrister Naseem that were without jurisdiction and in contempt of the Supreme Court order.

“The illegal resolutions passed by the PBC have been suspended by the attorney general. The law minister intends to initiate contempt proceedings against the Executive Committee of the PBC,” it added.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2019