CM’s husband questions credentials of Amjad Shah, Ahsan Bhoon; files complaints with JCP and NCCIA
ISLAMABAD:
With the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election approaching, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s husband Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar has intensified his campaign against the government-backed Independent Group, raising questions over the professional credentials of its presidential candidate Syed Amjad Shah and prominent leader Ahsan Bhoon.
The PML-N Lawyers Forum has already announced its support for the Independent Group in the upcoming SCBA election. Safdar, however, has publicly questioned Shah’s law degree and has now also challenged the educational and professional credentials of Bhoon, who is a member of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).
Safdar has submitted a complaint to the JCP secretary seeking an inquiry into Bhoon’s “educational certificate, enrollment and professional credentials”.
In his complaint, Safdar alleged that information had come to his knowledge raising questions about the authenticity of the law degree on the basis of which Bhoon entered the legal profession. He said the degree could allegedly be “fake, bogus or otherwise incapable of lawful verification”.
Safdar urged the commission to call for and independently verify the original record, arguing that the matter could not be ignored because Bhoon was a sitting member of the JCP.
“The Commission considers the persons who may ultimately sit in judgment over the rights, liberties, property, and disputes of the people of Pakistan,” Safdar said in his complaint.
He maintained that membership of the JCP was not merely ceremonial and that every member participated in the discharge of sensitive constitutional functions. He said the alleged issue concerning Bhoon’s qualifications therefore required authoritative verification.
Safdar further pointed out Bhoon’s prominent role in the organised Bar and his association with the Independent Group, commonly known as the Asma Jahangir Group.
He argued that Bhoon’s prominence within the legal fraternity made institutional scrutiny necessary if questions had arisen regarding the foundation of his professional status. Bhoon, meanwhile, has announced that he will file a defamation case against Safdar over the allegations concerning his law degree.
“Captain Safdar must be taken to task,” Bhoon told media persons.
The campaign has generated debate within legal circles over Safdar’s repeated targeting of Amjad Shah and Bhoon and whether his campaign is being conducted independently or has the backing of the PML-N leadership.
Members of the Independent Group maintain that Safdar has no backing from the PML-N, particularly the Sharif family, for his campaign against Amjad Shah and Bhoon. One senior member of the group claimed that the Sharif family was embarrassed by the situation.
Safdar and Amjad Shah both belong to Hazara division and, according to lawyers familiar with the matter, their relationship has remained tense for around five years.
With the Independent Group fielding Amjad Shah as its candidate for SCBA president, Safdar has announced support for Professional Lawyers Group candidate Sardar Amaan, who also belongs to Hazara division.
The dispute has acquired a broader political dimension because of the Independent Group’s relationship with the present government and its position on constitutional and political issues.
Bhoon is known for his association with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, while the Independent Group has backed the campaign for the creation of new provinces.
A section within the PML-N that opposes the division of Punjab is also concerned that an Independent Group victory in the SCBA election could result in stronger support for what its members describe as a “reforms agenda of powerful circles”.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Bhoon have also played prominent roles in mobilising Bar support for the present government, according to lawyers familiar with the political dynamics within the legal community.
Bhoon had also approached the Supreme Court after then-prime minister Imran Khan dissolved the National Assembly following then-deputy speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling. The proceedings concerned completion of the no-confidence process against Khan under Article 95 of the Constitution.
The Independent Group also endorsed the February 8 elections, while the government subsequently secured support from the group’s associated lawyers for two constitutional amendments.
Safdar has separately accused the superior courts of conducting “done-based” cases.
Meanwhile, in Lahore, Safdar has approached the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), seeking an inquiry against lawyer Mian Daud over what he described as abusive, defamatory and reputation-harming material allegedly published against him on social media.
In a complaint submitted to the NCCIA director general, Safdar alleged that Daud published a video concerning him on X and Facebook on September 23 at around 5:18pm. He claimed the video had attracted approximately half a million views by the time the complaint was filed.
Safdar said that earlier the same day, during a press interaction, he had raised questions about the authenticity of Bhoon’s law degree.
