Lawyers Conduct

In a TV talk show an office bearer of Karachi Bar Association when questioned point blankly if the licences of the Lahore lawyers who had not only stormed the LHC but also manhandled media persons and beaten up police officials would be cancelled, tried in a typical court room evasive style to parry the question by saying that if a  petition in this regard were made to the Lahore District Bar Association, it would certainly take note of the ‘misconduct’ of the concerned lawyers.

I think the Bar Associations at all levels in the country should confine themselves only to the ‘professional’ conduct or misconduct of their members as given in the Code of Professional Conduct of Lawyers and not try to hear their cases for indulging in any criminal activity in clear violation of the Pakistan Penal Code. Would a Bar Association hold proceedings to  cancel or not to cancel a lawyer’s licence even if he commits a culpable homicide?

The alleged lawlessness of the Lahore Lawyers clearly falls under the purview of a criminal act - involving law and order of the land - and should, therefore, be proceeded against them by the law enforcing agencies only.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)