PHC suspends lawyer’s licence over abusive language

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has suspended the practising licence of Advocate Iltaf Samad and issued him a show-cause notice after he was accused of using abusive language against a senior judge and court staff.

According to an order passed by senior puisne judge Justice Ijaz Anwar, the lawyer’s licence will remain suspended and he will not be allowed to appear before the high court or its benches until further orders.

The court also asked him to explain why proceedings should not be initiated against him for allegedly attempting to undermine the authority of the court by using abusive language toward court staff and in relation to a high court judge under Article 204 of the Constitution read with Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003. The order further said his case could also be referred to the Pakistan Bar Council for disciplinary action.

The bench directed the lawyer to submit his reply within a fortnight. It also ordered that the matter be placed before the PHC chief justice so it could be referred to another judge for further proceedings in accordance with the law.

Earlier show-cause notice

In its order sheet, the bench stated that on March 9, 2026, it had noted that the case had repeatedly been adjourned at the request of the petitioner’s counsel, Iltaf Samad. The court said the petition had been filed on Dec 2, 2024, but the lawyer had never appeared to argue it even at the preliminary stage.

The bench said a show-cause notice had therefore already been issued to him over his failure to discharge his legal obligations by not pursuing that petition and a connected writ petition.

The order further stated that while seeking adjournments, incorrect and misleading information had been given about his appearance before the Supreme Court, even though he had no case fixed there on the relevant date. The bench said this fact was admitted by the lawyer in his reply to the earlier show-cause notice.

Incident cited by the court

The bench stated that on the morning of May 18, before court proceedings began, the lawyer appeared and asked about the status of his case, which had been fixed for hearing. According to the order, when the court’s reader informed him about the issuance of the show-cause notice, he became angry and used abusive and indecent language against both the court reader and the judge.

The order sheet recorded the court’s account of the episode in these words: “As such he was issued a show cause notice to explain as to why he failed to perform his legal obligations while not pursuing this and the connected writ petition,”

“As such he was issued a show cause notice to explain as to why he failed to perform his legal obligations while not pursuing this and the connected writ petition,” the bench observed.

The court has now sought his response within two weeks while also moving the matter for further legal action through another judge.