Lahore – Renowned Pakistani-French fashion designer Mehmood Bhatti has accused a group of lawyers of assaulting him on the behest of his lawyer brother during a court appearance in Lahore. Speaking to the media at the Lahore High Court, Bhatti questioned the treatment meted out to overseas Pakistanis, asking how long such behavior would persist. He recounted that his trip from Paris to Lahore for the court hearing cost him a substantial 1.4 million rupees.
Bhatti claimed that his brother, Advocate Munir Bhatti, has filed 23 cases against him. He further alleged that his lawyer brother has been issuing threats, boasting of connections that purportedly shield him from any legal consequences. The dispute between the Bhatti brothers centers on a property case currently being heard in civil court, with Mehmood Bhatti asserting that the land was intended for an orphanage, yet he has been obstructed from proceeding with the project. Despite traveling from Paris to Lahore for court appearances over the past four years, Bhatti lamented the lack of progress in the case.
The fashion designer has called for action against the senior lawyer involved, revealing that during a previous hearing, approximately 30 lawyers attacked him, yet no measures were taken against them. Meanwhile, Munir Bhatti has filed an appeal with the Lahore High Court, challenging the denial of the right to cross-examine a witness in the property case. The appeal, presented before Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, was adjourned without any substantial developments. The Lahore High Court had previously suspended proceedings in the ongoing civil court case.
In related regional news, Zinedine Zidane is emerging as a strong candidate for the French national football team’s head coach position. Air France employees have spoken out against sexual harassment in the workplace. In Saint-Denis, prosecutors are seeking sentences of up to 28 years for the alleged killers of 16-year-old Louji. Additionally, a Russian drone attack on the Chernobyl nuclear plant reportedly damaged the facility’s protective arch without increasing radiation levels, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. French President Emmanuel Macron has also emphasized that peace in Ukraine must not come at the cost of surrender, warning against any solution that undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty.
