LA HORE: Bar leaders see an element of personal grudge in suspension of the practicing licence of Barrister Syed Ali Zafar by the Supreme Court.

Rejecting the decision of the SC, the speakers, at a general house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Wednesday, said the suspensionof aseniorlawyer`slicense was not less than a tragedy.

Besides L HCBA office bearers, PBC vice-chairman Azam Nazir Tarar, its executive committee`s chairman Ahsan Bhoon, Supreme Court Bar Association vice-president Mian Shah Abbas, its former president Asma Jahangir, senior lawyer and former Punjab governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa addressed the house.

They termed the suspension of Barrister Zafar`slicense a result of personal grudge. They said the whole legal fraternity had rejected the SC decision.

They said the lawyers had great respectforjudges but could not tolerate unfairness with any of their colleague.

The house asked the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) not to restore practicing license of outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan Jawwad S. Khwaja.

LHCBA president Pir Masood Chishti said the bar would become a party to a review petition against the suspension of the senior lawyer`s license.

The house also adopted a resolution unanimously demanding that the powers of disciplinary action against lawyers should rest with bar councils.

ItaskedthePBCtoensure amendment to rules of the Supreme Court and the Legal Practitioner Act.