Ahmer Bilal Soofi | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights | |
| In office 2 April 2013 –7 June 2013 | |
| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister | Mir Hazar Khan Khoso (caretaker) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 November 1962 |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
Ahmer Bilal Soofi is a Pakistani lawyer and a former Minister of Law,Justice,Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights in the 2013 Khoso caretaker ministry. [1] Soofi is a member of the Board of Governors of the Islamabad Policy and Research institute,a think tank based in Islamabad. [2]
Soofi regularly contributes articles to Pakistani newspapers,offering commentary and analysis on legal,social,and political issues. [3]
Ahmer Bilal Soofi was born to M. A. Soofi,a periodontist,and Iqbal Soofi,a medical doctor. [4] His father,M. A. Soofi,was a dentist who had worked for the Muslim League and Muslim National Guard. [5] [6]
He has a Master of Laws degree from the University of Cambridge. [7]
On 20 July 2000,the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Pakistan hired the Isle of Man-registered Broadsheet LLC to investigate and track the illegally accumulated wealth of Pakistani politicians,including the former Prime Minister of Pakistan,Nawaz Sharif. [8] [9] In 2003,the NAB terminated the agreement with Broadsheet after making settlements with Nawaz Sharif and others. [9] However,Broadsheet claimed that it had not been informed of the settlements,and that it was entitled to service fees on assets it had recovered. The company filed an arbitration case before the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) over non-payment of service fees,claiming damages of $580 million. [8] Meanwhile,the Broadsheet company went bankrupt and was acquired by Kaveh Moussavi. The original owner of Broadsheet,Jerry James,registered another company in Colorado,which was also named "Broadsheet". [8]
In May 2008,the NAB reached an agreement with the Colorado registered Broadsheet and paid it an amount of $5 million. [10] However,the original Isle of Man-registered Broadsheet,now owned by Moussavi,continued to pursue the arbitration against the Pakistani government,on the basis that the government had mistakenly paid the new company,which had no legal standing in the ongoing dispute. [8] The case hearings commenced in January 2016,with the Pakistan government losing the case in August that year. The LCIA upheld Broadsheet's arguments that Jerry James had no authority to act on behalf of the Isle of Man registered Broadsheet LLC. It further held that "Pakistan was liable to pay damages as NAB had wrongfully repudiated an asset recovery agreement with Broadsheet and committed a tort of civil conspiracy by entering into a sham settlement with a former Broadsheet executive". [10]
At the time of the settlement agreement,Soofi had acted as counsel for the NAB. [11] In 2021,a commission led by formed Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan,Azmat Saeed,was formed to investigate potential corruption and criminality during the Broadsheet case. [11] [12]
In 2022,the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle of Islamabad summoned Soofi for investigation. [13]
In 2013,the Pakistani government engaged Soofi's firm for Rs 90M (approx US$838,000) to act in a dispute before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. [14]
Soofi has condemned Israel's actions in its war against Gaza,arguing that Israel had committed genocide,that its occupation of Palestinian territory was illegal,and that Palestinians had a right to armed resistance under international law. [15] He has argued that the Quran is a legally binding contract between Allah and all of humanity,including non-believers of Islam. [16] [17]
Amidst the ongoing 2025 India–Pakistan crisis,Soofi has argued in favour of the Pakistani government's view that any abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty by India would constitute an act of war against Pakistan,which would justify a nuclear attack upon India. [18] [19] Soofi interprets the Advisory Opinion on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons as implicitly legitimising Pakistan's possession of nuclear weapons and the proposition that in extreme circumstances,nations may justifiably use nuclear weapons as a form of self defence. [19]
He is married with three sons. [20] His son Bakhtawar Bilal Soofi is an Advocate of the Punjab bar and a partner at the elder Soofi's law firm. [4] [21] Bakhtawar's younger brother,Sadiq Karim Soofi,is a graduate of Harvard University. [22] [23]
He was formerly the president of WWF Pakistan. [24]