Punjab Bar Council suspends 1,133 lawyers over unverified law degrees
The Punjab Bar Council (PBC) has suspended the licences of 1,133 lawyers for failing to submit law degrees verified by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) as part of a large-scale drive to verify the academic credentials of practising advocates, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Sunday.
According to the Punjab Bar Council, the verification exercise covered the degrees of 1,194 lawyers from seven universities.
However, only 29 lawyers submitted HEC-verified degrees within the required timeframe, leading to the suspension of the remaining licences.
The council also announced the suspension of the licences of 62 additional lawyers holding degrees from Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai University.
Last week, licences of another 125 lawyers from the same institution were also suspended during the ongoing verification campaign.
A total of 128 lawyers who submitted intimation documents have been directed to appear before the Punjab Bar Council on 25 July with their original academic records and HEC degree verification certificates.
The council described the hearing as a final opportunity for them to establish the authenticity of their qualifications.
Show-cause notices have also been issued to individuals suspected of obtaining legal licences on the basis of fake or bogus law degrees.
The Bar Council warned that criminal proceedings could be initiated against anyone who fails to produce satisfactory evidence of their academic credentials.
The action was approved by the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Punjab Bar Council, Fakhar Hayat Awan.
He said strict legal action would be taken against anyone found to have submitted forged academic documents, while lawyers whose degrees are successfully verified by the HEC would be entitled to approach the Executive Committee for restoration of their licences.
A formal notification regarding the disciplinary action was issued by the Secretary of the Punjab Bar Council.
Reporter: Malik Ashraf