Tag: lawyers

  • Former bureaucrat accused of torturing, hanging cat released on bail, police shocked at explanation

    Police has released former bureaucrat, Abdul Qayyum, who was arrested after a dead cat was found hanging in his house located in Bahira Town, Dawn News has reported.

    A police officer while talking to Dawn said that “during preliminary investigation, the man denied this allegation and told police that two cats were fighting inside his house and there was a loop of rope around the neck of one animal”.

    “During the fight, the cat with the rope around its neck fell from the stairs, which led to it dying by hanging as the rope got stuck in a pipe,” added the accused.

    However, the police suspects that the statement given by the accused is false, adding: “Cats are not usually found with ropes around their neck.”

    A case was registered against the man under section 429 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The complaint was lodged by Anila Umair, who is an animal welfare activist.

    As per details, the prime suspect has also been allegedly involved in domestic abuse.

  • Khadija Siddiqi case: Punjab Govt says early release for good behaviour, blood donation

    Punjab Prisons Minister Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan has responded to the allegations against the Punjab government of giving 1.5 year remission to Shah Hussain, the man convicted of stabbing Khadija Siddiqi.

    Shah Hussain did not receive any “legal remission” from the government but had actually availed “technical remissions”, said Chohan.

    https://twitter.com/Fayazchohanpti/status/1419918424160063489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1419918424160063489%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1637224

    As per a document shared by Chohan, Shah has gotten remission on the following basis:

    1. Ordinary remission: 8 months and 8 days.
    2. Annual Good conduct Remission: 1 month.
    3. Blood Remission: 1 month.
    4. Education Remission of 7 months and 15 days which includes 4 months and 15 days for B.A and 3 months for Tarjma ul Quran.
    https://twitter.com/fayazchohanpti/status/1419919839389528064?s=21

    Earlier, Khadija took to Twitter and accused the Punjab government of granting, “extraordinary REMISSION of 1.5 years.”

    In another tweet, Khadija tagged Punjab Prisons Minister Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan and wrote: “You are responsible for allowing early release of my attacker.”

    Siddiqi was stabbed 23 times on a busy Lahore street while she was picking her six-year-old sister from school on May 3, 2016. Shah Hussain is the son of a senior Lahore High Court lawyer.

  • Zahir Jaffer saw patients at Therapy Works, witness comes forward

    Therapy works has denied allegations that Zahir Jaffer, the alleged killer of Noor Mukadam, was seeing clients at the Therapy Works office. Samaa News has reported that a woman has came forward with details contradicting their claims.

    She shared screenshots with Samaa Digital that in 2019, she had taken someone to Therapy Works to receive therapy from Zahir Jaffer. She also shared a screenshot of conversation she had with Zahir to book an appointment.

    According to a statement released by Therapy Works, “Zahir Jaffer was enrolled as a student in UK Level 3 from September 2015 to September 2016. After this he joined UK Level 4 from October 2016 to June 2018. He did not complete his coursework and International Essays, and accordingly was never given permission to see clients,” said the statement. But the woman’s screenshot and claim shows otherwise.

    TherapyWorks statement on their official Instagram handle

    As per Samaa, “Therapy Works had posted on its Instagram a picture of its UK Level 5 candidates and the group included Zahir Jaffer. They have deleted the picture now, but social media users took a screenshot of it.”

    While Therapy Works has responded to the allegation that Zahir was a practicing therapist, The Current reached out to them asking for a response to the allegations that they were involved in the incident. We are still waiting for a response.

  • Man in Muzaffargarh punished for evicting, beating parents

    A man has been punished under Parents Protection Ordinance, 2021, Geo News has reported. The man was sentenced to one month in jail with a fine of Rs50,000 for maltreating his parents.

    He is the first person to be punished under the new law. According to details, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muzaffargarh Amjad Shoaib Khan took action after a complaint was filed by the parents of the accused for beating and evicting them from their home last year.

    “A year ago, Mukhtar forced us to leave home and since then we have been managing by doing domestic work at people’s homes,” said Ghulam Fatima in the complaint.

    DC summoned both the parties at his office to resolve the matter but the parents refused to forgive the son after which the DC took action against him under the law.

    “The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has provided a credible protection shield to elderly parents by virtue of this law,” said PTI MPA Sardar Abdul Hayee Khan Dasti.

  • British company introduces special hijabs for Muslim lawyers

    A British company Ivy & Normanton has launched a range of hijabs designed specifically for female advocates to wear in court. The initiative has been welcomed by Muslim women across the United Kingdom because no specific brand made hijabs for female advocates.

    Speaking to Arab News, the designers said they hoped to inspire more young Muslim women to join the legal profession.

    Barrister and founder of Ivy & Normanton Karlia Lykourgou, while talking to the publication, said: “I think people aspire to be what they can see.”

    “To keep encouraging diversity at the bar, we have to make sure that those who don’t fit the white, male stereotype have the tools they need so other young people can see them and believe they have a place in the profession too,” she said further, adding: “The Ivy & Normanton hijab was developed so other women could easily find a piece of clothing that expresses their identity as a Muslim and an advocate and get on with the job.”

    According to the brand’s website: “I&N hijab was created in collaboration with hijab wearing members of the legal profession to be perfectly designed for court.”

    “Made of 100% organic bamboo silk, it’s moisture-wicking and hypoallergenic to keep you cool in the summer and comfortable in winter, and is a perfect size and shape for tucking into a suit jacket or into a collarette, so you can express your identity as a person and a professional.”

  • Islamabad lawyers storm high court building after CDA demolition drive

    In a protest against the demolition of their chambers by the Capital Development Authority in F-8 sector of Islamabad, a number of lawyers stormed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) building on Monday.

    The lawyers chanted slogans against IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah as they barged into the chief justice block, trapping the Justice Minallah into his chamber. They also broke the windows and doors of the building.

    The special security police were also absent from the scene when the building was stormed by the lawyer as they arrived much later. Female employees were evacuated from the Chief Justice block and other IHC judges also arrived at the scene.

    Due to the violence, the proceedings at both the high court and district courts remained suspended, with roads outside the court blocked for traffic.

    The lawyers also misbehaved with journalists who were present on the scene and were recording videos.

    According to Dawn, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani and IHC Bar Association President Haseeb Chaudhry urged the lawyers to opt for talks. “Until you people put your stance before us, we will not be able to solve the problem,” said Justice Kiyani as per the report.

    The deputy commissioner, Hamza Shafqaat, also arrived on the scene to placate the angry lawyers. He said that the administration was trying to resolve the situation within half an hour.

    NO TALKS TILL RESTORATION OF CHAMBERS:

    The protesters, however, refused to back down. They said they “will not talk until our chambers are restored”. They also claimed that some of their colleagues were arrested.

    Justice Kiyani said the detained lawyers will be released, adding that lawyers shot themselves in the foot by attacking tyhe chambers of the IHC CJ.

    “Lawyers have crossed the head of their house, now I will have to placate him as well,” he was quoted by Dawn as saying.

    Meanwhile, a notice was issued by IHC Bar Association Secretary Suhail Akbar Chaudhry, announced a strike and saying that not only will the body protest against the “injustice”, it will also take “strict action if needed”.

  • VIDEO: Lawyers interrupt PM Imran during speech

    VIDEO: Lawyers interrupt PM Imran during speech

    Prime Minister Imran Khan was interrupted twice while he was addressing a ceremony in Sahiwal on Friday.

    During a cheque-distribution ceremony under the Ehsaas programme in Sahiwal, a lawyer interrupted the premier and asked for permission to make a request.

    He subsequently asked the PM for the formation of a high court bench in Sahiwal so that they don’t have to go to Multan or Lahore for cases in the high court.

    His request was followed by another lawyer asking the PM for permission to ask “three-four questions”. However, the PM shot down his request, saying he would have allowed him to speak had he decided to ask just one question. The lawyer could be heard saying just “two questions” but to no avail.

    The PM went on to say that he doesn’t have time for “three-four questions”. The PM said that his government was planning to industrialise Pakistan so that youth can find jobs.

    Imran said Sahiwal would be provided best facilities in the fields of health, education, road infrastructure and social welfare, adding that Punjab had immense potential for development in agriculture and livestock sectors.

    “The Ehsaas programme is meant to provide a safety net to the lower-income households,” the premier said. He maintained that his PTI-led government under the welfare programme is aiming to provide universal health care.

  • Lawyers take to Lahore streets with guns to celebrate victory in bar polls

    Lawyers take to Lahore streets with guns to celebrate victory in bar polls

    Multiple videos of the Lahore-based lawyers have emerged, wherein they can be seen doing aerial firing on the streets of the city to celebrate the victory of their candidate in the Punjab Bar Council elections.

    In the un-dated videos that are being circulated in Whatsapp groups and social media, the lawyers can be seen firing indiscriminately while the police officials looked on.

    They had all sorts of guns — and ammunition, enough to take down an army. AK47s, M-16, G-3s — all prohibited bore weapons — can be seen in the video along with different models of handguns.

    https://twitter.com/TassawarBajwa_/status/1333655495123611650

    Aerial firing is banned in Pakistan, and people involved in this practice can be booked under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.

    Following the outrage on social media, Civil Lines police booked several unidentified lawyers on the charge of aerial firing. Police, however, said it will go ahead with the probe once the lawyers are identified.

    On Nov 30, The News reported that Kamran Bashir Mughal, Sadiq Irfan Tarar, Adeeb Aslam Bhindar, Muhammad Ahmed Qayyum and Hafiz Abdul Naeem and 11 others had won the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) elections held on 16 seats in Lahore.

    A low turnout was seen in the election for 75-member house of Punjab Bar Council (PbBC), the provincial regulatory body of the legal fraternity, on Saturday for a five-year term of 2020-25 apparently due to Covid-19 pandemic, it reported.

  • CJP distributes motorbikes among female lawyers

    CJP distributes motorbikes among female lawyers

    Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed distributed motorbikes among women lawyers on Friday. While giving out the motorcycle-driving training to women lawyers, the CJP encouraged women to ride the bikes adding that this was a good start and that he hoped this practice will continue. He also advised women lawyers to avoid talking during motorcycle-riding.

    Addressing a motorbike distribution ceremony at the Sindh High Court Bar Association, the CJP appreciated the bar association’s efforts for providing a motorbike-driving training opportunity to women advocates.

    He said that although motorbike-riding was dangerous, it was the responsibility of the trainers as well as of women motorbike riders to drive safely and ensure that they did not meet with an accident.

    He said women lawyers kept on talking during the programme and advised them to curb their habit of talking during motorcycle-riding.

     Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh also appreciated the SHCBA and senior lawyers for making arrangements to award motorbikes and training to the women lawyers.

    Salman Sufi, head of Salman Sufi foundation, said that his organisation had given motorbike-riding training to as many as 15,000 women since 2016, and have set a target that his organisation would provide training to 500,000 women by 2025.

  • ‘Worst clampdown on freedom of expression,’ rights groups regret PTI’s social media laws

    ‘Worst clampdown on freedom of expression,’ rights groups regret PTI’s social media laws

    Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFU), lawyers and civil society members have decided to launch a nationwide movement for getting trashed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules, DAWN reported.

    Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club on Thursday, the journalists’ union, lawyers, and civil society termed the government’s notified rules unacceptable, and demanded that the government revoked them.

    READ: PM House’s conversion into university to cost taxpayers over Rs35 billion

    Members of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) and Media Matters for Democracy attended the presser.

    READ: Pakistan secures four-months to comply with FATF agenda

    Many prominent journalists were of the view that these rules exceeded the mandate given by the 2016 Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. In addition, they all said the regulation was a clampdown on online content as the final extreme in the series of restrictions on freedom of expression as well as press freedom in the country.

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    They, however, appreciated Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s statement regarding having consultation with all stakeholders before enforcing the rules.