Litigation & Arbitration

Banking & Finance Disputes

  • Representing Pakistan Banks’ Association in a writ petition (and subsequent appellate proceedings) before the Lahore High Court challenging the validity of Section 15 of the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance, 2001
  • Represented several leading banks in the constitutional challenge against Section 15 of Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance, 2001 dealing with sale of mortgage property in cases of default before the Supreme Court of Pakistan (National Bank of Pakistan v SAF Textile Mills Ltd PLD 2014 SC 283)
  • Representing ORIX Leasing Pakistan Limited in various recovery proceedings before the banking courts and the Lahore High Court under the Financial Institutions Ordinance, 2001 against various defaulters
  • Successfully represented United Bank Limited before a full bench of the Lahore High Court, Lahore in cases challenging the jurisdiction of High Court to adjudicate contractual disputes between an individual and a private bank under the writ jurisdiction (United Bank Limited v M. Ashraf 2019 LHC 4374)
  • Representing Allied Bank and other financial institutions in a number of recovery suits against corporations and individuals pursuing the enforcement of personal guarantees against loans issued by the banks
  • Represented one of the largest banks in Pakistan before the High Court of Sindh at Karachi, under Section 9 of the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance, 2001 for recovery of finances extended to the Defendant
  • Represented a large Chinese energy company regarding a matter involving potential encashment of bank guarantees before the Islamabad High Court. The Islamabad High Court decided to grant applications for an interim injunction against OGDCL and the issuing bank and the said parties were restrained from taking any adverse action against our client

Commercial Litigation

  • Representing a leading manufacturer of large diesel engines and propulsion systems and distributed power generation plants from Germany and its regional distributor in Middle East before the High Court of Sindh in proceedings related to the termination of service partnership agreement with the local service partner in Pakistan (System Company v MTU Middle East PLD 2019 Sindh 382)
  • Representing a Chinese manufacturer of surveillance equipment against a local distributor before the courts in Lahore in relation to disputes arising out of breaches of the distributorship agreement
  • Successfully represented Pakistan Petroleum Limited in a civil suit before the High Court of Sindh at Karachi in relation to a contractual claim amounting to around PKR 90 Million
  • Representing and defending a textile company in a claim of around PKR 337 Million raised by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited before the Additional District Judge in a Gas Utility Court
  • Successfully represented Forte Pakistan Private Limited in proceedings related to the encashment of a bank guarantee securing a contract for the installation of an industrial scale generator set

Constitutional Litigation

  • Successfully represented the Pakistan Railways in relation to an award of lease of 140 acres of public lands to the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club, Lahore against the applicable laws (causing an alleged loss of around PKR 50 Billion to the national exchequer) before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which ordered the re-possession of lands by Pakistan Railways (Ishaq Khan Khakwani v Railway Board through its chairman PLD 2019 SC 602)
  • Represented a journalists’ union in a successful defence of the Seventh Wage Board Award before the Supreme Court of Pakistan (All Pakistan Newspapers Society v Federation of Pakistan PLD 2012 SC 1)
  • Represented Dr Mobashir Hassan in a successful constitutional challenge against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) before the Supreme Court of Pakistan (Dr Mobashir Hassan v Federation of Pakistan PLD 2010 SC 265)
  • Successfully represented the Gilgit Baltistan Bar Council in a constitutional petition at the Supreme Court alleging the denial of fundamental rights and access to justice of Pakistani citizens residing in Gilgit Baltistan (Civil Aviation Authority v Supreme Appellate Court Gilgit Baltistan PLD 2019 SC 357)
  • Represented a leading political party in a constitutional petition at the Supreme Court regarding whether a person disqualified from holding public office can be the head of a political party under the Election Act, 2017 (Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta v Federation of Pakistan PLD 2018 SC 366)
  • Represented family members of the Prime Minister of Pakistan at the Supreme Court in a constitutional petition seeking the Prime Minister’s disqualification under Article 62 of the Constitution (Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi v Nawaz Sharif PLD 2017 SC 692)

Domestic Arbitration

  • Represented a large oil and gas exploration company in an arbitration dispute in Pakistan under the Arbitration Act, 1940 with one of its Working Interest Owners arising out of a Joint Operating Agreement and Petroleum Concession Agreement involving claims and cross claims of more than USD 10 Million
  • Represented the leading security and logistics group in Pakistan in an arbitration involving claims and cross-claims worth over USD3 Million relating to disputes arising out of an agreement to supply trucks used for transportation
  • Successfully represented Pepsi Cola International (Pvt) Limited before the Lahore High Court in proceedings arising out of an arbitration award (Pepsi Cola International Pvt. Limited v Maxim International Pvt. Limited 2017 CLNC(N) 176)
  • Representing one of the leading industrial grounds of Pakistan in arbitration proceedings and related court proceeding before the Islamabad Civil Court in relation to a dispute arising from a rental agreement between the parties involving a claim of around PKR 01 Billion
  • Representing one of the largest oil and gas company in Pakistan in an arbitration application against the Government of Pakistan before the learned Civil Courts Islamabad. The case concerns the cancellation of the leases granted to the company by the Government, wherein interim injunctions against the said cancellations have been successfully secured on behalf of the Client
  • Represent BST Services in a domestic arbitration instituted by China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau for payment by BST Services of an amount in excess of PKR 263,000,000/- to China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau on account of Horizontal Directional Drilling Work undertaken by China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau

Energy Infrastructure Disputes

  • Represented a major global oil and gas exploration company from Netherlands in a dispute with the EPCC contractor arising from the construction of a gas field surface facilities project, involving claims and cross-claims of more than USD 32 Million, before the courts in Lahore
  • Represented a major state-owned Chinese company in its contractual dispute with the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) involving claims and cross-claims worth more than US$100 million relating to an EPCC Contract for an LPG Gas Processing Plant, before the Civil Courts, Islamabad and the Islamabad High Court
  • Advising an EPC contractor from China in relation to disputes with owners/employers (and potential arbitrations) arising from EPC contracts for the construction and development of two power plants and generation facilities (with a collective generation capacity of more than 2,400 MW)
  • Successfully represented Pakistan Petroleum Limited in a public procurement matter in which an unsuccessful bidder had sought to challenge the bidding process pertaining to the provision of vehicles at Kandhkot gas field
  • Representing an independent power producer at the Supreme Court against a gas utility company in relation to the recognition and enforcement of a foreign arbitral award of around PKR 800 Million (plus interest) involving questions of the scope and effect of take-or-pay provisions in the gas supply agreement issued under the London Court of International Arbitration in London

Environmental Litigation

  • Represented Shehri, amongst other parties, against the Karachi Grammar School, Convent of Jesus and Mary, and the Civil Aviation Authority, in a civil suit filed at the High Court of Sindh in relation to the illegal conversion of an amenity park plot into a school, school yard, as well as a squash complex; interim relief was granted in favour of the clients
  • Successfully represented Education Excellence Limited (Punjab Group of Colleges) before Lahore High Court in proceedings challenging the construction of a multi-storey building in Lahore under the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997
  • Represented an herbal extracting company before the Lahore High Court challenging the order of the Environment Protection Department, Government of Punjab as being ultra vires
  • Representing China Power Hub Generation Company (Private) Limited before the Environmental Protection Tribunal against a complaint filed by the former Balochistan Assembly Speaker who is seeking the closure of the 2×660 MW coal-based power projects
  • Representing a fertilizer company in proceedings at the Lahore High Court in relation to the regulatory framework for the control and utilization of water resources by the provincial government

Intellectual Property Disputes

  • Representing a Swiss entity, which provides independent assessment, testing, and certification services, for the enforcement of its trademarks and other intellectual property rights against multiple leather and textile manufacturers, retailers, and distributors in Pakistan
  • Representing a partnership before the Intellectual Property Organisation in a matter regarding the registration and publication of intellectual property and trademarks
  • Represented a beverage manufacturer in an intellectual property suit alleging breach of trade mark, initiated by one of the largest multi-national drinks’ manufacturers
  • Representing a pharmaceutical company against Microsoft Corporation in a suit for damages amounting to PKR 400 Million
  • Representing one of the leading telecom companies in Pakistan in proceedings before the High Court of Sindh at Karachi filed against various telecom companies alleging infringement of its patent rights involving a claim of damages of around PKR 800 Million
  • Representing one of the leading telecom companies in Pakistan in proceedings before the High Court of Sindh at Karachi for the revocation of patent under the Patent Ordinance, 2000

International Arbitration

  • Represented a Pakistani company against an American corporation in an arbitration in London conducted under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules
  • Represented one of the leading real estate companies in Pakistan in an arbitration against the company from the Cayman Islands arising from an aircraft sale and purchase agreement conducted under the rules of the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution in Geneva, Switzerland and governed by the laws of Switzerland
  • Representing an independent power producer at the Supreme Court against a gas utility company in relation to the recognition and enforcement of a foreign arbitral award of around PKR 800 Million (plus interest) issued under the London Court of International Arbitration in London
  • Provided expert testimony as an independent expert witness for Pakistan Steel Mills in the litigation before the courts in British Columbia regarding the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Pakistan (Sociedade-de-fomento Industrial Private Limited v Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation (Private) Limited 2014 BCCA 205)
  • Acted as amicus curie before the Lahore High Court in the pending proceedings for the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Pakistan

Labour & Employment Disputes

  • Represented National Transmission & Despatch Company Limited in various cases including employee disputes, land acquisition cases, and rights of way related to construction of smart towers
  • Successfully represented 100 contractual employees of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women Rights Center, Punjab before the Lahore High Court, culminating in regularization orders being issued by the Lahore High Court
  • Successfully represented 200 contractual employees of Social Welfare and Bait ul Mal Department, Punjab before the Lahore High Court; orders for regularization of the employees were passed by the Lahore High Court
  • Represented Pakistan Railways in several claims related to employee disputes, land lease, land acquisition, procurements, blacklisting, illegal possession of land, and lease amount recovery
  • Successfully represented House Building Finance Company Limited (HBFCL) in an employment matter before the High Court of Sindh at Karachi; the dispute related to the withdrawal of promotion orders by the management of HBFCL
  • Represented a number of retired employees of National Bank Pakistan before the Lahore High Court, in a petition against the said bank to enforce the contractual, fundamental and statutory pensionary rights of the bank’s retirees (National Bank of Pakistan v Iftikhar Rasool Anjum 2017 PLC(CS) 453)

Land & Property Disputes

  • Represented the beneficiaries of a disputed will executed in Pakistan by a British national in which the assets of the estate were situated in the UK, in litigation before the Courts in Lahore involving multi-jurisdictional issues which were simultaneously being litigated before the courts in Lahore and the High Court of Justice, United Kingdom (Queen’s Bench Division)
  • Successfully defended a client in a benami suit at the civil court in relation to the legal title of the property; total value of the property amounted to PKR 30 Million
  • Represented one of the legal heirs of a high net worth individual before trial court and successfully recovered PKR 320 Million as share in the estate left by the deceased businessman
  • Successfully represented an overseas Pakistani family before Rent Tribunal in an intricate ejectment petition and successfully recovered rented property amounting to PKR 70 Million
  • Acted in proceedings for various real estate developers in a number of cases before the Lahore High Court in a challenge made to the amendments of the Punjab Revenue Authority Act, 2012 in 2016 (Nishat Hotel and Properties v Province of Punjab 2019 PTD 2050)

Media and Technology Disputes

  • Successfully represented the national electronic media regulator in an appeal at the Supreme Court regarding a challenge to the bidding process for broadcasting licenses (MAG Entertainment v Independent Newspapers 2018 SCMR 1087)
  • Represented a banking company in a defamation suit at the civil court against the plaintiff claiming damages amounting to PKR 100 Million
  • Represented one of the leading industrialists of the proceedings in a defamation proceeding against a television channel before the courts in Lahore and a complaint before the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)
  • Successfully represented the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) first in writ petitions before the Honourable Lahore High Court and subsequently in appeals before the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan, reported as 2018 SCMR 1807, where a challenge was made to the legality of a restriction contained with the PEMRA Ordinance and Rules prohibiting broadcasters from obtaining distribution licences for the new Direct-to-Home (DTH) service being introduced in Pakistan for the first time in its history
  • Representing Shaukhat Khanum Memorial Trust in a defamation suit against Muhammad Hanif Abbasi in respect of comments made in a talk show against the trust involving a claim of approximately PKR 100 Million
  • Representing and defending the publisher, of a widely circulated daily newspaper, in exercising his right to publish, under the Press, Newspaper, News Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance, 2002

Oil & Gas Disputes

  • Representing a client in a parallel court and arbitration proceedings arising out of the Petroleum License and Petroleum Concession Agreements in relation to five petroleum blocks; the amount in dispute is in the range of USD 26 Million
  • Represented a client in challenging the imposition of gas transportation charges (to the tune of around USD 7 Million) by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in relation to the import of the multiple cargoes of the RLNG in Pakistan before the Lahore High Court and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority of Pakistan
  • Represented the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources in the challenge against the imposition of gas infrastructure and development cess under the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess Act, 2011 before the Supreme Court of Pakistan (Federation of Pakistan v Durrani Ceramics 2014 SCMR 1630)
  • Representing the oldest oil refinery in Pakistan before the Honourable Islamabad High Court challenging the retrospective imposition of a Premium by the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) of approximately PKR 1.8 Billion. Interim injunctions have been granted by the Honourable Islamabad High Court against the said demands
  • Representing one of the largest textile mills in Pakistan in a number of cases against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in challenges made under the Gas (Theft, Control and Recovery) Act, 2016 against exorbitant gas bills issued to the mill exceeding PKR 400 Million
  • Represented one of the largest spinning mills in Pakistan in a complaint before the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in respect of a demand of unpaid gas issued by SNGPL for the sum of PKR 337 Million
  • Represented a major multinational Oil and Gas Company before the Khyber Pakuhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Tribunal and the Honorable Peshawar High Court in which we successfully persuaded the High Court and the Tribunal to set aside criminal complaints initiated by the KPK Environmental Protection Agency under the KPK Environmental Protection Act against the CEO of the Company

Public Interest Litigation

  • Acting in a public interest litigation challenging state inaction on climate change in relation to mitigation measures under the UNFCCC Paris Agreement 2015
  • Represented a public-spirited citizen in a petition challenging the legality of the election of Mr Nasir Hussain Shah to the Provincial Assembly of Sindh on the grounds that he is disqualified from being a member of the Sindh Assembly
  • Represented civil society members in a successful constitutional challenge to the construction of the signal-free corridor on Main Boulevard, Lahore (Imrana Tiwana v Province of Punjab 2015 PLD 522 Lahore)
  • Successfully acted for a public interest petition to allow the use of DNA material as evidence in rape cases (Salman Akram Raja v Federation of Pakistan 2013 SCMR 203)
  • Acted in a public interest litigation challenging the legality of Section 3 of Punjab Prohibition on Manufacture, Use, Sale and Import of Polythene Bags Ordinance 2002 before the High Court of Lahore

Shareholders’ Disputes

  • Representing a Japanese company in a shareholder dispute and winding up proceedings before the Lahore High Court in relation to a company owning various hospitality projects in Lahore, Pakistan
  • Acted in proceedings for the approval of a scheme of merger and amalgamation between several companies under the Companies Ordinance 1984 before the Lahore High Court (In the matter of Able Diversified Ltd 2010 CLD 26)
  • Representing the majority shareholders in a winding-up petition involving a dispute between the shareholders of one of the largest newspaper companies in Pakistan before the Lahore High Court
  • Represented ORIX Leasing Pakistan Limited and ORIX Corporation before the Lahore High Court in a dispute arising from the shareholders agreement, mismanagement of affairs and winding up petitions
  • Representing minority shareholders in multiple proceedings before the Lahore High Court and the Civil Courts in Lahore in relation to disputes arising from the oppression and mismanagement by majority shareholders in companies engaged in the manufacturing of papers and film products
  • Represented a major oil and gas exploration company and its directors in Writ Petitions and Companies Original Petitions before the Companies Bench of the Islamabad High Court wherein allegations of oppression and mismanagement were raised by minority shareholders of the company against its directors

Tax Litigation

  • Represented a major state-owned Chinese energy company in a substantial tax dispute with the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in relation to a disputed tax liability of USD 11 Million arising out of an EPCC Contract for an LPG Processing Plant in Pakistan, before the Islamabad High Court
  • Representing several large cement manufacturers and packaging companies in a writ petition at the Lahore High Court challenging the withdrawal of tax exemptions available under Section 65 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001
  • Representing various members of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) in challenging the insertion of amendments to Section 65B of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 (dealing with tax credits on investment in plant and machinery), vide the Finance Act, 2019; interim relief has been granted in favour of the clients
  • Represented a major Chinese company before the High Court of Balochistan in a writ petition challenging the retrospective imposition of sales tax by the Balochistan Revenue Authority (BRA) following an amendment in the Balochistan Sales Tax on Services Act
  • Represented property owners in a constitutional challenge to the luxury tax imposed through the Punjab Finance Act, 2014 (Muhammad Khalid Qureshi v Province of Punjab 2017 PTD 805 Lahore)

White Collar Crimes

  • Successfully represented a textile company before OGRA against allegation of pilferage levelled by SNGPL
  • Represented the Federal Board of Revenue in a case involving the constitutionality of concurrent criminal and civil proceedings against tax defaulters (Taj International v Federal Board of Revenue 2014 PTD 1807 Lahore)
  • Represented the CEO of a major private hospital in Islamabad in a writ petition before the Islamabad High Court challenging the jurisdiction of the National Accountability Bureau
  • Representing the former Managing Director of Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Mr Sheikh Imran-ul-Haque in his trial before the Accountability Court wherein post-arrest bail has successfully been secured for the Client
  • Represented clients before a full bench of the Lahore High Court, Lahore in a successful challenge to the notices issued by National Accountability Bureau on account of wilful default (Mian Ayaz Anwar v State Bank of Pakistan PLD 2019 Lahore 310)