Bar Council Politics and Lawyer Conduct in Pakistan

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Bar Council Politics and Lawyer Conduct in Pakistan

Bar Council Politics and Lawyer Conduct in Pakistan

Pakistan's legal profession is regulated by powerful institutions like the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and various Provincial Bar Councils, such as those in Punjab, Sindh, KP, and Balochistan. While their role is to uphold legal ethics and protect lawyer rights, internal politics and factionalism have increasingly undermined their effectiveness and public trust.

1. Structure of Bar Councils

The Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973 governs bar councils in Pakistan. Each province has its own bar council, while the PBC oversees the national regulatory and representational framework for lawyers.

Main Functions:

  • Grant and cancel licenses to advocates
  • Disciplinary proceedings against misconduct
  • Bar elections and lawyer representation
  • Coordination with judiciary and law ministry

2. Politics in Bar Council Elections

Bar council elections are now dominated by political alliances, often reflecting biradari, regionalism, or personal loyalties. Ticket distribution, block voting, and even vote buying have become routine in many elections.

Common Issues:

  • Factionalism and infighting between lawyer groups
  • Use of bar offices for personal or political gain
  • Involvement of political parties in lawyer elections

3. Decline in Professional Conduct

Frequent incidents of lawyer misconduct, court boycotts, physical violence, and pressurizing judges have raised serious concerns about professional ethics in the legal community.

Notable Incidents:

  • Attack on Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) by lawyers in 2019
  • Bar boycotts over petty issues delaying justice delivery
  • Videos of lawyers misbehaving in courtrooms going viral

Unfortunately, disciplinary committees often fail to take timely or serious action, due to political affiliations and mutual compromises.

4. Impact on Judiciary & Public Trust

The politicization of bar councils and decline in lawyer discipline has eroded public confidence in the justice system. Judges feel pressured, litigants feel helpless, and genuine lawyers get sidelined by political actors in black coats.

5. What Needs to Change?

  • Reform the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act to introduce accountability
  • Ensure neutral and monitored bar elections
  • Mandatory ethics training for lawyers and law students
  • Active role of courts in ensuring discipline and decorum
  • Media coverage of misconduct to be taken seriously by the bar

Conclusion

Lawyers are the guardians of justice, but if they fall prey to politics and lawlessness, the entire justice system collapses. Bar councils must reclaim their regulatory power, cleanse internal politics, and hold their members accountable. Only then can the dignity of the black coat be restored in Pakistan.

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Written by Syed Mustafa Hussain Gardezi – Advocate High Court
Visit: lets-legislate.blogspot.com

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