A bar council licence was granted to a convicted terrorist.
A judge in the United States found Shah guilty of the charges against him and handed down a sentence of six and a half years in prison.
KARACHI: The Sindh Bar Council (SBC) has granted a licence to practise law to an attorney who was convicted in a terror case.
All law graduates must submit an affidavit outlining any prior convictions in any nation, as required by Section 108-B(d) of The Pakistan Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Rules, 1976.
In addition, the Pakistan Bar Council forbids any such individual from being admitted as an advocate if a court has found him guilty of an offence involving moral turpitude.
Syed Maaz Shah received a sentence of six and a half years in US Federal Prison after being found guilty by a court in the United States, according to the document made available to The Express Tribune.
He was found guilty by the court of having and using a military-style weapon. Shah reportedly said that it was his duty to oppose repressive and corrupt nations like the United States, according to the FBI inquiry transcript made public by the US Department of Justice.
According to the US Attorney’s Office’s news release, Shah believed it was his responsibility to get ready for “Jihad”.
In the case of United States v. Shah, the transcript of the Sentencing Hearing includes the judge’s observation that Shah’s actions were intended to conspire to kill, kidnap, or maim foreign nationals as well as to kill or attempt to kill American officers and employees.
Shah stated in a statement to The Express Tribune that “it was an old story.” He claimed that he had already sent the SBC his response to a comparable complaint made by a student.
He claimed, “I was innocent and had committed no crimes [in the US] and you know it is not so difficult to construct a bogus case against anyone.”
Zulfiqar Ali Khan Jalbani, vice chairman of SBC, suggested that harsh measures against Shah in an interview with The Express Tribune. If found guilty of concealing the facts, “His licence could be revoked,” he continued.
According to Jalbani, Shah has not received any complaints. He added that there were over 37,000 lawyers and that he did not personally know them all. But, he said, there is a fair mechanism in place, and the committee investigates these claims when it receives a formal complaint.
Another top lawyer stated that “just allegations are not enough to prevent one from receiving the licence.” He said that if the accusations are confirmed, the licence will be revoked. Then, he won’t be able to practise law.
