ISLAMABAD: A senior lawyer has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar for holding a seat of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) even after swearing of federal minister’s office.

Advocate Pervaiz Inayat Malik, who was a member of PBC during 2008-2009, in his petition raised a number of legal questions for holding dual offices by Mr Tarar.

He termed this against the dictum laid down by the Supreme Court in Dr Mubashir Hassan case and said that being a federal minister, Mr Tarar cannot appear before any court as an advocate, therefore, he could not be enrolled as practising lawyer with the PBC.

Petitioner seeks direction to AG to de-notify Tarar as PBC member

The petition also pointed out that the holding office of the PBC despite being a federal minister is against the Rule 108-O of Rule of 1976.

This rule requires that “an advocate having his name on the Roll of a Bar Council shall apply to the later that his certificate be suspended because he intends to join some other profession, business, service or vacation”.

The petitioner asked the court to issue a direction to the attorney general to de-notify Mr Tarar as PBC member.

The petition also requested the court to restrain the law minister from performing his responsibility as PBC member.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2022