Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) has restored the practising licence of Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq who represents YouTuber Rajab Butt.
According to reports, the council made the decision on Tuesday, a day after Lahore High Court’s Justice Malik Awais Khalid heard a petition filed by Ashfaq challenging the suspension of his licence. The court summoned the complete record of the PbBC on the matter of the suspension.
“Keeping in view the above-mentioned facts and circumstances, and particularly the violation of Article 10-A of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, the licence of Mr Ali Ashfaq to practice as an advocate is hereby restored,” PbBC Vice Chairman Muhammad Ashfaq Kahooti stated in Tuesday’s order.
Tuesday’s order revealed that on the same day the council received the complaint against Ashfaq, “a short notice was issued to him and, without affording him a proper opportunity of hearing, his licence to practice as an advocate was suspended” by the bar’s executive committee.
However, the order noted that the council turned down Ashfaq’s objection on the executive committee’s lack of authority as “the said contention is misconceived”.
“The Punjab Bar Council is duly empowered to reprimand, suspend, remove from practice, or impose compensation, fine, or penalty upon any advocate found guilty of professional or other misconduct on a complaint under Section 41(1) and (2) of the said Act,” the order maintained.
The PbBC stated that Ashfaq submitted an application on Tuesday in the form of an objection petition challenging his licence suspension. His application argued that the December 31 order violated Article 10-A of the Constitution and “principles of natural justice, as the order was passed in absentia without providing him an opportunity of hearing”.
Ashfaq further contended that he had not “committed any misconduct either towards the legal fraternity or against the dignity of the legal profession”.
The lawyer described the complaint filed by KBA as “biased, mala fide, and motivated by certain members of its cabinet”.
The PbBC had suspended Ashfaq’s licence on December 31 following a complaint from the president and general secretary of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA).