ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has issued notice to Qazi Muhammad Anwar, president Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to appear on February 14 and submit reply for his alleged conviction for having explosives in his possession.

Barrister Bacha a leading lawyer of Peshawar High Court and runner up of this year’s SCBA elections, filed an application requesting the PBC to disqualify Qazi Muhammad Anwar, for being a convicted person in a case for possessing hand grenade and detonators.

As Qazi Muhammad Anwar is a convicted person therefore, a restraining order may be passed immediately, retraining him from acting as the President Supreme Court Bar Association, Bacha pleaded the committee. The Executive Committee of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has entertained the application and issued notice to Qazi Muhammad Anwar to appear before the Committee on February 14 and explain his opposition.

In addition to the fresh application of disqualification, Qazi Anwar, is already facing rigging charges in the last annual elections of the Association. His opponent and runner up in the SCBA elections, Barrister Bacha had also moved an application to the Committee for probing the matter.

In his application Barrister Bacha alleged that Qazi Muhammad Anwar is admittedly a convicted person for having grenades and detonators in his possession thus a convicted person can neither be an advocate of the Supreme Court nor can represent the SCBA as president.

He further informed the committee that Qazi Muhammad Anwar has admitted his conviction and sentence which is placed on Pakistan Law Journal (PLJ) 1998, Peshawar, page No 200. Qazi Anwar however, reportedly said that the Lahore High Court had set aside his conviction in that case. Meanwhile Barrister Bacha told reporters that Qazi Anwar was sentenced nine months imprisonment by military court for possessing explosives in 1979, adding that Lahore High Court curtailed his punishment; however, his conviction is still intact.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:2/2/2010