News
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Govt seeks PBC action against Kamal Azfar
* Federation requests PBC disciplinary committee to initiate proceedings against Barrister Azfar for his professional misconduct by misrepresenting before SC
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council’s (PBC) disciplinary committee, through an application, has been requested to initiate proceedings in accordance with law against Kamal Azfar, a Supreme Court advocate, for his professional misconduct which he adopted during the hearing of the federation’s review appeal on the annulled National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
The application filed on Friday by the federation through the Ministry of Law and Justice’s solicitor-general said that after October 13, 2010, there existed no client-counsel relationship between the federation and Azfar.
That Azfar levelled uncalled-for, false, frivolous and malicious allegations against the federation in the following manner which appeared in a daily newspaper on April 13 (Wednesday), the statement said while referring to Thursday’s proceedings.
“He was in no way justified legally, morally or professionally to give the above statement which embarrassed the position of the federation before the Supreme Court,” it added.
Citing reason, it said in this way Afzar has committed gross misconduct by shaking the confidence of his client, the federation, and has rendered himself to disciplinary proceeding by the PBC.
“That by misrepresenting before the apex court, Azfar has committed gross professional misconduct which warrants initiations of disciplinary proceedings against him,” it added.
The application also contained brief details of the previous proceedings and the stances taken by the counsel with relevant documents.
Latif Khosa (now Punjab governor) replaced Azfar, who was appointed adviser to the prime minister on the National Disaster Management Authority, on October 6 and started arguing the case on October 13, 2010. Azfar, on October 30, 2010, wrote an unauthorised letter to the apex court’s registrar, stating that he was available to argue the case after tendering his resignation as adviser to the prime minister.
According to the application, Azfar sent another letter on March 31, 2011, to the SC registrar, in which he posed himself to be a counsel on behalf of the federation. It is pertinent to mention here that his authority to represent the federation was already withdrawn. The counsel appeared before the apex court on April 11and stated that “though it was always a privilege to appear and assist the apex court, but in the instant case, the federation had taken away brief from him and instructed Dr Khalid Ranjha to appear and argue the case”. staff report/app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk