LAHORE, March 26: The Punjab Bar Council restored the licences of about 400 lawyers and judicial officers on Tuesday, PBC vice-chairman Ramazan Chaudhry said.

The licences were cancelled by the PBC’s anti-corruption committee following complaints that a number of lawyers had taken up full-time employment without informing the council or getting their licences suspended. The same charge was levelled against the judicial officers, particularly when they opposed a Bar campaign against Gujranwala district and sessions judge Kazim Ali Malik. The officers whose names were struck off the rolls of advocates included Lahore High Court registrar Fakhar Hayat, sessions judge Chaudhry Akram Baitu and senior civil judge Fazl Dad.

The anti-corruption committee decision in a couple of cases was set aside by the Pakistan Bar Council in appeal. The apex regulatory body of the legal profession held that the anti-corruption panel had no authority in law to consider and decide the matter.

A dissenting committee member, Rashdeen Nawaz Kasuri, meanwhile, moved the PBC executive committee stating the legal position. He said only the PBC enrolment committee had the power to grant and cancel licences for legal practice. The anti-corruption committee and its (former) chairman, Pervez Inayat Malik, acted in disregard of law, he complained.

Meeting under the chairmanship of Malik Amjad Husain, the PBC executive committee decided to recall the impugned committee orders and treat the complaints against the disenrolled lawyers and judicial officers as pending before the enrolment committee. The cancelled licences stood restored pending the enrolment committee proceedings.