Awais Shakeel Law Associates

19/02/2023

Glimpses of convocation ceremony! Convocation, an event that carries emotions and hopes simultaneously 🎓

05/02/2023

04/02/2023

Annual lunch organized by the mentor, Malick Shehbaz (Ex-Civil judge). It's a fun and relaxed event to build relationships among the mentor and his mentees.

15/01/2023

DBA's Election Talk.

District bar elections in Pakistan are held to elect members to the district bar associations, which are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession and the conduct of lawyers within a specific district. These elections are held every years and are open to all advocates who are eligible & enrolled as members of the respective district bar association.

The district bar elections are often marked by intense competition between different factions and candidates. These factions may be based on religion, ethnic, or ideological differences and may have their own political agenda. The elections are often marred by allegations of vote rigging, misconduct, and other forms of corruption.

One of the main issues that has plagued the district bar elections is the lack of transparency and accountability. There have been instances where the polls have been rigged and the results have been manipulated to favor certain candidates. This has led to a loss of public trust in the district bar elections and has raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

Another issue that has plagued the district bar elections is the influence of money and politics. Many candidates have used their wealth and political connections to gain an unfair advantage over their opponents. This has led to a perception that the district bar elections are not truly democratic and that the outcome is predetermined.

Most significant issue that It is not uncommon for other political associations or groups to interfere in district bar elections. This can take the form of lobbying for certain candidates, attempting to influence the outcome of the election through financial or other means, or even using intimidation tactics to discourage certain candidates or voters from participating. Such interference can undermine the integrity & dignity of lawyers and make it weaker to the unity of respected lawyers. It is important for the relevant authorities to take steps to prevent such interference and to ensure that district bar elections are free, fair, and transparent.

In recent years, there have been calls for reform in the district bar elections. Many legal experts have suggested that the district bar elections should be made more transparent and accountable to the public. Some have also suggested that the district bar associations should be made more representative of the legal profession as a whole, rather than being dominated by a small group of lawyers.

It's worth noting that the district bar associations are governed by the Pakistan Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973 and it is responsible for the regulation of legal profession in Pakistan, in the respective district. However, the district bar association's elections are not as heavily scrutinized as compared to the Pakistan Bar Council Elections, as the latter is a statutory body and has broader responsibilities and functions.

~Written by Advocate Awais Shakeel.

03/01/2023

It's great to reminisce about good memories with Charles Swift who is the Director of Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America. He was named by National Law Review as one of the top 100 legal minds in the United States. He is a retired Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Charles is most known for winning the U.S. Supreme Court case Hamdan v. Rumsfield for his client, Salim Ahmed Hamdan. More, he had been presented concrete arguments on Aafia Siddiqui case that despite she was not charged with terrorism-related crimes or al-Qaida links, verdict was announced against her. Swift explicitly said that the case had been decided on "fear not facts"

03/01/2023

A day after securing bail in the controversial tweets case, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Senator Azam Swati on Tuesday was finally allowed to walk free.

Azam Swati could not be released on Monday due to the unavailability of a written order from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) pertaining to his bail. The bail was accepted against the surety bonds of Rs200,000.

As Swati's counsels presented the receipt regarding the surety bonds and the copy of the ruling in the court of Special Judge Central, the judge issued the release orders.

However, after completing the legal process, the PTI leader’s lawyers reached Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Centre Islamabad as the office was declared as sub-jail. After receiving the legal documents, the authorities released Swati.

Swati has been behind bars since November 27, when he was arrested for the second time for using abusive language against the top military brass, including former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa. The septuagenarian hurled swear words at Bajwa.

Swati had filed a plea seeking release on bail in IHC in relation to the case filed against him on November 26. His earlier plea, filed on December 21, was dismissed by trial court judge Azam Khan, who said that the senator had committed the same offence twice.

In his application, the senator stated that he did not post derogatory remarks against any institutions. He added that the prosecution has no proof against him despite an investigation.

The application read that Swati is 75 years old and a heart patient and that jailing him would be a sentence without conviction as all evidence against him is documentary.

The cases

Swati was booked in multiple cases across the country for his controversial tweets against senior military officers.

Initially, the senator was arrested by the FIA on October 13 after he posted a hateful and threatening message against the then-army chief, judiciary, and other state institutions on his official Twitter account.

He had secured bail in that case, but on November 27, the FIA arrested him again for using abusive language against the top military brass, including Gen Bajwa.

On December 2, Balochistan police arrested Swati in a similar case registered against him in Quetta. At the time of his arrest, he was already on judicial remand in Adiala Jail and was shifted to Quetta under a transit remand acquired by the Balochistan police.

Later, the Balochistan High Court (BHC) ordered the quashing of all cases registered against the senator in the province. Once BHC issued the order, the Sindh Police took the senator into custody over the issue of controversial tweets.

The senator then approached the Sindh High Court for bail. The court also directed the quashing of all cases registered against the senator in the province.

Following the orders, Islamabad Police took the senator into its custody and brought him to the federal capital. He is still in custody.