PBC mulls filing misconduct complaint against AG, law minister: Amjad

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the apex body of the legal fraternity, is deliberating over filing a complaint of misconduct against the incumbent Attorney General for Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan and Minister for Law Barrister Farogh Naseem in former president General (R) Pervez Musharraf case.

Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan was head of the legal team of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf against whom the then PML-N government had filed a complaint seeking initiation of high treason case for imposing an emergency rule in 2007. Similarly, Barrister Farogh Naseem, the incumbent Law Minister, later on also represented as lead counsel of Musharraf in the high treason case.

"We are deliberating over this serious issue as this falls in severe professional misconduct on the part of Anwar Mansoor Khan and Farogh Naseem who had represented Musharraf in high treason case and later acted on behalf of the prosecution,” Syed Amjad Shah, Vice Chairman PB told The News.

He said that once it is finalised, a complaint of misconduct will be filed against both Anwar Mansoor and Farogh Naseem with the disciplinary committee of the PBC for immediate action. They have to be punished for acting on behalf of the new prosecution team made in the high treason case against Musharraf,” Amjad Shah said.

He said that both the gentlemen had first headed the legal team in high treason case and later on after becoming AG and federal minister for law played their role in establishing new prosecution team in the high treason case, adding that their act falls in domain of professional misconduct.

It is pertinent to mention here that last year in November the PTI government had appointed new prosecution team comprising Ali Zia Bajwa and Munir Hussain Bhatti, special prosecutors, along with Dilshad Ahmed Babar, Snr Joint Secretary, Aitzazuddin, Deputy Secretary, and Awais Javed SC (FIA) Ministry of Interior.

Amjad Shah said that the government being the complainant appointed the new prosecution team in the high treason case and both Anwar Mansoor Khan and Farogh Naseem acted on behalf of the new prosecution team but they had also represented Musharraf in the treason case as lead counsels. Therefore, he said, they are liable to be proceeded for professional misconnect and a compliant will be filed against them.

Meanwhile, Syed Qalbe Hassan, President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), told The News that if the PB filed a complaint of misconduct against Anwar Mansoor and Farogh Naseem, they will support it. He said as both were first lawyers of Musharraf in Special Court and now both are on high and important slots of the government offices and if the government filed an appeal against the verdict of Special Court in high treason case they will be liable for misconduct.