Punjab Bar Council Sets Deadline for 1,200 Lawyers to Verify Degrees

The Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) has issued notices to 1,200 lawyers whose academic degrees have not been verified by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), directing them to complete verification by May 15 or face suspension of their licences.

In a joint statement, PbBC Vice Chairman Khawaja Qaiser Butt and Executive Committee Chairman Fakhar Hayat Awan said degrees obtained from several universities, including Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai University, University of Sindh, University of Karachi, Gomal University, Mirpur University of Science and Technology, and Mohiuddin Islamic University, remain unverified.

They said all affected lawyers must get their degrees verified by the HEC and submit attested documents to the council before the deadline. The statement warned that failure to comply will result in immediate suspension of licences and further legal action.

The council also announced that no future enrolment will be allowed without HEC-verified degrees.

It added that individuals posing as lawyers, those holding fake degrees, and those practicing law while employed in government or semi-government institutions have been given a final opportunity to regularize their status. PbBC said strict legal proceedings will follow after the deadline, with no further leniency or concessions.