LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Bar Council’s member Ahsan Bhoon has served a Rs5 billion defamation notice on retired Capt Muhammad Safdar, husband of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, demanding an unconditional public apology and retraction of the allegation that his LLB degree is fake.

The notice, issued by Kilam Law-Barristers & Legal Consultants, states that Safdar, speaking publicly outside the Supreme Court on or about Sept 23, alleged that Bhoon’s LLB qualification was fake.

It says the remarks were subsequently circulated on social media and repeated by Safdar in further media appearances and video messages, without what the notice describes as any supporting proof.

The notice sets out Bhoon’s professional record, including enrolment as an advocate of the lower courts in 1989, as an advocate of the high court in 1992, and as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2003, alongside terms as president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, a judge of the Lahore High Court from 2008 to 2009, and multiple terms on the Pakistan Bar Council, including his recent fifth consecutive election to the Council for 2026–2030.

Move follows PML-N leader’s allegation that the lawyer has a fake LLB degree

Interestingly, the senior partner of the Kilam firm that served the notice, represents former prime minister Imran Khan and his sisters in the Anti-Terrorism Court of Rawalpindi.

“Your statements are not being treated by Our Client as political rhetoric, casual commentary or some inconsequential exchange before the media,” reads the notice, a copy available with Dawn. “You chose to make assertions which strike directly at the legal foundation upon which a lawyer is admitted to practice.”

Bhoon, who heads Independent Group (famously known as Asma Jahangir group), is also a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and a sitting member of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan as a nominee of the bar.

The notice calls on Safdar to withdraw and retract the allegations within seven days, issue a public apology with equivalent prominence to the original statements, and cease further circulation of the claims. It also demands Safdar to pay a sum of Rs5bn as damages to Bhoon, a close fellow of Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.

In case of failure, it states, defamation proceedings — including under the Punjab Defamation Act, 2024 for the recovery of the damages — as well as possible criminal proceedings will be initiated.The controversy erupted on Sept 23 when Safdar, while speaking to the media outside Parliament House, questioned the authenticity of Bhoon’s LLB degree.

In a series of statements, Safdar has defended his campaign to demand verification of lawyers’ degrees, saying: “It is my right to demand that those who shape people’s destinies show their degrees.”

Safdar has also alleged that Supreme Court lawyer Amjad Shah, contesting the election for president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, holds a fake degree.

“The case against Amjad Shah has moved from the High Court to the Constitutional Court,” he claimed, adding that he will file a petition in the Supreme Court and then proceed to the Constitutional Court.

“If the lawyer produces his degree, the issue will be resolved. If the lawyers show their degrees, I will apologise to them,” Safdar said.

Regarding Bhoon, Safdar claimed that a petition against him had been filed with the Judicial Commission. He also stated that he had filed a complaint regarding cybercrime and approached certain courts and that he would submit a request for an early hearing to the Constitutional Court. The legal notice challenges Safdar to produce proof of his claim against Bhoon, asking him to identify the university record, the determination of the Higher Education Commission, or any judgment from a competent court that declared Bhoon’s degree fake.

“What, precisely, was your proof?” the notice asks. “You announced first and sought verification afterwards.”

According to the notice, Bhoon obtained his LLB from the University of the Punjab under Roll Number 828 in March 1989. His credentials were formally verified by the university’s Controller of Examinations as recently as Jan 21, 2026, in connection with the Pakistan Bar Council electoral process, with the status expressly recorded as “Verified”.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026