{
  "id": 10132247,
  "title": "Captain Safdar sparks fresh debate over authenticity of lawyers’ degrees",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/captain-safdar-sparks-fresh-debate-over-authenticity-of-lawyers",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-27T02:25:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2032927/captain-safdar-sparks-fresh-debate-over-authenticity-of-lawyers-degrees"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "ISLAMABAD: As the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) elections approach on October 29, the Punjab chief minister's spouse, retired Captain Mohammad Safdar, has reignited a discussion about the legitimacy of lawyers' degrees, particularly among candidates running for the association's highest office. The Independent Group, led by Syed Amjad Ali Shah, and the Professional Group, headed by Hamid Khan, are the two main contenders. Safdar has established his own faction, the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah Group, and invited lawyers to join it, emphasizing the need for verification of the degrees held by these candidates. He claimed that the law degree of one candidate for the SCBA presidency was fraudulent and called for a verification of the degrees of prominent lawyers, including Ahsan Bhoon, a relative of Federal Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and former SCBA president Mr Bhoon, who is now a member of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan and leads the Independent Group. Additionally, Safdar accused certain lawyers of charging their clients on a \"done basis,\" a practice where they charge exorbitant fees while promising clients a 100 percent favorable outcome in court. Both the Professional Group and senior lawyer Muhammad Siddique Awan echoed Safdar's demand for verification of the legal qualifications of those contesting the SCBA elections, asserting that all members of the SCBA, numbering around 5,000, should have their degrees validated. Awan noted that several lawyers had previously been identified with fake degrees and cited the recent dismissal of Islamabad High Court judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri due to concerns about the authenticity of his law degree. Despite this, Syed Amjad Ali Shah, the Independent Group's presidential candidate, accused Safdar of harboring a personal vendetta against him. Shah claimed that Safdar was irked by his refusal to represent a client in a property dispute in Mansehra involving the brother of a former Supreme Court judge, interpreting it as disrespect and subsequently targeting Shah in the media. He argued that Safdar's refusal to follow proper legal and institutional procedures in seeking a degree verification has led to resentment among local notables in Mansehra, which might have influenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's inability to secure an Assembly seat from the district.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: Weeks ahead of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) elections, spouse of the Punjab chief minister retired Captain Mohammad Safdar has sparked a fresh debate over the authenticity of lawyers’ degrees, particularly those of candidates contesting the association’s top office. The SCBA elections are scheduled for Oct 29, with the Independent Group, also known as the Asma Jahangir…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}