By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The disciplinary committee of the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) on Wednesday directed lawyers representing actor Momina Iqbal and PML-N MPA Saqib Chadhar to refrain from making any public statements about their ongoing legal dispute.
The directive was issued during proceedings on complaints filed by the legal teams of both parties against each other. Committee Chairman Abbas Ali Chadhar observed that a dispute between two private individuals had unnecessarily escalated into a matter of personal ego among the lawyers involved.
Actor Momina Iqbal’s sister and legal counsel, Advocate Rimsha Iqbal, and MPA Saqib Chadhar’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, appeared before the committee.
The committee instructed both sides that no lawyer connected to the case should discuss the matter with the media. It also directed Mian Ali Ashfaq to submit his Bar-at-Law degree for verification.
During the hearing, Mr Ashfaq questioned Advocate Rimsha Iqbal’s professional status, alleging that she had been employed in Australia while enrolled as a lawyer, which he claimed was against legal practice rules.
The chairman asked Advocate Rimsha how many media interviews she had given while wearing a lawyer’s uniform. She responded that she had participated in six to seven interviews.
Advocate Rimsha told the committee that she had supported her sister due to their family relationship and maintained that the allegations against her were unfounded. She also clarified that she had worked additional part-time hours while studying in Australia.
Earlier, MPA Saqib Chadhar appeared before the committee and defended his counsel, stating that comments made by Mr Ashfaq outside the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) office were delivered on his instructions.
Mr Ashfaq questioned why an application had been filed seeking suspension of his licence merely for representing and assisting his client.
Chairman Abbas Ali Chadhar remarked that lawyers should exercise caution when communicating with the media and asked whether there should be limits on statements made on behalf of clients.
Mr Ashfaq argued that lawyers have a responsibility to present their clients’ position and that the nature of legal representation can vary from case to case.
The committee chairman also objected to the use of the term “honey trap” during a press conference by the MPA’s counsel and questioned whether such language was appropriate.
