LAHORE: The Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) has cancelled the legal practicing license of eight ‘lawyers’ including its outgoing chairman executive committee Jamil Asghar Bhatti after Punjab University declared their LLB degrees fake.

“Relying upon the verification report submitted by the Punjab University, it has been established that Jamil Asghar Bhatti (Lahore) , Mian Hafeez (Lahore), Javed Bashir (Lahore), Safdar Saleem (Jhang), Syed Tayyab Hussain Shah (Sargodha), Syed Muhammad Imran (Narowal), Muhammad Mazhar Iqbal, (Faisalabad) and Syed Tahir Hussain Bokhari (Attock) obtained license as an advocate on the basis of fake law degrees,” says an order issued by PbBC Vice Chairman Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Khaksar.

He also referred the matter to the executive committee for initiation of criminal proceedings against the delinquents and directed the office to remove their names from the roll of the advocates.

“They not only procured licenses on the basis of fake degrees but also contested the Nov 28 election of the council. It is a matter of great concern that they not only committed forgery but also brought a bad name to the legal fraternity and they are also a stigma on the face of the legal profession, the order reads.

After withdrawing her nomination from the recently held election of the provincial bar council, a senior lawyer, Gulzar Butt, had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court for verification of the degrees of all contesting candidates. However, the election was held on Nov 28 but the official result would be announced on Dec 8.

Mr Khahsar has also appointed Syed Farhad Ali Shah as new chairman of the executive committee after the removal of Mr Bhatti. After assuming the office Mr Shah directed all the district and tehsil bar associations of Punjab to get verified LLB degrees of all the candidates participating in upcoming election of district and tehsil bar associations.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2020