On the complaint of Akbar Bugti's widow…: PbBC suspends licence of PM’s advocate nephew

LAHORE: The Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) Tuesday suspended the legal practicing licence of Advocate Hassaan Khan Niazi, nephew of Prime Minister Imran Khan, on a complaint of the counsel for the widow of Nawab Akbar Bugti, who also got an FIR registered against him.

Islampura police had lodged the case on the complaint of Shahzadi Nargis, who accused Advocate Niazi of attacking her when she appeared before a sessions court to secure bail in a case of cyber crime, registered by the FIA. The agency had lodged a case against Nargis on a complaint of her former daughter-in-law, namely Wishah Abubakar, for sharing her objectionable pictures and videos on social media. She also accused her former husband Shahzawar Bugti of subjecting her to physical torture and extending life threats to her. Advocate Niazi is the legal counsel for Ms Abubakar. In his complaint to the PbBC, Advocate Ayaz Butt, the counsel for Ms Nargis, narrated the same allegations mentioned in the FIR already lodged by his client. An order issued by the PbBC vice-chairman Amjad Iqbal Khan says the complaint needs consideration; therefore, a notice be issued to the respondent (Niazi) for July 17.

“Keeping in view the serious allegations, leveled against the respondent, the licence to practice as advocate of respondent, Hassaan Niazi, is suspended and the matter is referred to executive committee for further proceedings,” reads the order. In FIR, Nargis alleged that Niazi and his accomplices first abused her in presence of her lawyer and then tried to strangulate her with an intention to take her life. Meanwhile, Hassaan Niazi tweeted that the Punjab Bar Council had suspended his license without listening to him in an ex-parte hearing. He said that immense pressure was being built on him to back off from case against Shahzawar Bugti, adding that five days ago they even registered a false FIR against him. He vowed he would not back off.