Pakistani lawyers turn fashion police, think waiters stole 'their uniforms'

There are so many issues in Pakistan that lawyers have to fight for such as human rights violations and honour killings, but for the lawyers, their most important concern is waiters wearing ‘their uniforms’.

Three bar councils in Pakistan recently issued statements condemning waiters for wearing ‘their uniforms’. According to Pakistani lawyers, no one should be allowed to wear their uniform i.e. a black suit with a white shirt and black tie.

The Punjab Bar Council has written a letter to the chief secretary, the Islamabad Bar Council to the chief commissioner of Islamabad and the Balochistan Bar Council has issued a statement. The gist of all three statements is the same.

“It came to our knowledge, many of the Hotels & Marriage Hall Staff is wearing the uniform of Lawyers. Through this letter I am clearing this, A Law Graduate cannot wear the proper uniform of a lawyer unless until he passed the entry test and complete his six-month training period [sic],” reads the Punjab Bar Council letter.

There are many professions and occasions where a man can wear a black suit such as a bodyguard, workplace or at your own wedding too but probably any waiter cannot. The lawyers in Punjab, Islamabad, or Balochistan assume they are only the ones allowed to wear black suits.