Senior lawyer and Judicial Commission member Ahsan Bhoon has announced that he will initiate legal proceedings against Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar over statements he described as defamatory.
Bhoon said he would bring Safdar before the court and file claims for defamation and damages. He also urged members of the legal fraternity not to react emotionally and to treat Safdar’s statements as those of an unrelated individual.
Speaking about criticism against him ahead of the Supreme Court Bar elections, Bhoon said he had spent his life as a political worker through different political and military periods, including the era of General Zia-ul-Haq, General Pervez Musharraf’s martial law and subsequent democratic governments.
He said positive criticism was everyone’s right, but no one should be allowed to engage in character assassination.
Bhoon said he respected the Sharif family but claimed that Captain Safdar was creating difficulties for the family into which he had married.
He said he would exercise his legal right and bring Safdar before the courts so that he could substantiate his allegations. Bhoon added that he would approach all relevant legal forums and would not respond through personal abuse or inappropriate language.
Discussing Safdar’s allegations, Bhoon said he would respond to them through legal forums rather than on the streets.
Regarding allegations concerning his educational credentials and the upcoming Supreme Court Bar elections, Bhoon said the motives behind the allegations were known only to God. He added that attempts to damage his reputation had also been made during previous elections.
Bhoon said he had never claimed to have done any favours for the Sharif family or any government.
Addressing young lawyers, he said he was working as a lawyer for the improvement of the system and the welfare of the legal community. He advised young lawyers not to become political “fuel” for any political party and instead to honour their parents’ sacrifices and move forward in a positive direction.
Responding to Captain Safdar’s statement that he would withdraw his candidate if Bhoon produced his degree, Bhoon said he had advised Amjad Shah not to engage in the debate because the electoral college would make the decision.
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Bhoon also spoke about his educational background and said that Justice Najafi, Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had been his classmates or section fellows.
He further claimed that Captain Safdar’s identity was primarily associated with his marriage into a political family and said that, otherwise, he had no independent political or legal standing.
Bhoon said Captain Safdar had contacted him by telephone around two weeks earlier and objected to his support for Amjad Shah. According to Bhoon, Safdar had raised objections over Amjad Shah’s association with a resolution against him or with people who had signed it.
Bhoon said he explained to Safdar that lawyers commonly sit together at the bar and that Amjad Shah was the consensus candidate of his group. He said Safdar nevertheless continued making negative statements in the media.
Bhoon said publicly humiliating someone and subsequently apologising behind closed doors was not acceptable, adding that legal action was necessary to prevent disorder in society.
Asked about the Sharif family’s reaction, Bhoon said the family had not contacted him directly, but he had learned through friends that they were upset and distressed over Safdar’s actions. He said he had no complaint against Maryam Nawaz or Nawaz Sharif, adding that every person acts according to his own capacity and temperament.
On the reaction from lawyers and an application filed by Captain Safdar against lawyer Mian Dawood, Bhoon said members of the legal community had reacted out of affection. He said the NCCI was a government and legal institution and not anyone’s personal property, and that it would examine applications according to legal rules.
Bhoon also criticised allegations that court decisions were based on “deals” or payments. He said allegations that judges accepted money without evidence were inappropriate and challenged anyone possessing evidence to present it.
He said the Supreme Judicial Council took action against judges involved in wrongdoing and that judges had been removed from office in the past.
Bhoon also expressed his appreciation for Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Aminuddin Khan, describing them as excellent judges.
In his final message to lawyers, Bhoon urged the legal community not to become emotional over Captain Safdar’s statements. He reiterated that the lawyers’ community believed in the supremacy of the Constitution and law and that the dispute would be addressed solely through legal channels.
