Sher Afzal Marwat, born on April 4, 1971, is a Pakistani lawyer currently practicing at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Before joining the Supreme Court, he held the position of Civil Judge in the District Judiciary of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa under the Peshawar High Court (PHC). One of his notable cases includes sentencing Ahmed Bhatti to death.
Sher Afzal is a key member of the core committee of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a prominent political party in Pakistan. Within the PTI, he leads the party’s legal team, overseeing various critical legal matters.
Notably, Marwat serves as the lead counsel for the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, who is also the leader of PTI. He handles a diverse range of legal cases involving the party. In addition to his responsibilities regarding Imran Khan, Sher Afzal also represents other prominent PTI officials such as Ali Muhammad Khan, Shandana Gulzar, Shehryar Khan Afridi, Fawad Chaudhry, and Ali Amin Gandapur.
Education
He pursued his education in Political Science and Government at Government Degree College Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Following this, he enrolled in the LLB program at the University of Peshawar. Subsequently, he journeyed to the United Kingdom, where he successfully earned an LLM degree from Cardiff University.
Professional Career
Sher Afzal commenced his legal career and later served as a Civil Judge at the Peshawar District Courts in 2004. Afterward, he returned to private legal practice and in 2018, he joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), where he assumed responsibility for the party’s legal affairs. In recognition of his significant contributions, he was appointed to the party’s core committee.
Following the 2023 Pakistani protests, which resulted in a crackdown on PTI officials and the abduction of several members, Marwat emerged as a prominent leader. Notably, he represented Imran Khan during the period when the party leader was in custody.
Political Career
Imran Khan appointed him as PTI’s Senior Vice President, and he serves as the legal representative in all of Imran Khan’s legal matters. Prior to joining PTI, he was affiliated with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) from 2008 until October 15, 2017, when he publicly announced his departure from the party during a jirga. He justified his decision, stating, “I find no reason to stay in a party where I am given no respect and where the leaders have no time to address the issues faced by the people in my area.”
On April 16, 2018, he joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), persuaded by Asad Qaiser and Salim Saifullah Khan.
Initially planning to contest the 2018 Pakistani general election and the 2018 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial election from NA-36 Lakki Marwat and PK-91 Lakki Marwat-I, respectively, as a PTI candidate, he withdrew his candidacy for both seats due to delays in ticket allotment. Despite his withdrawals, his name remained on the ballot papers for both seats as an independent candidate. In NA-36 Lakki Marwat, he received 92 votes, losing to Mohammad Anwar Khan of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), and in PK-91 Lakki Marwat-I, he secured 33 votes, losing to Munawar Khan, an MMA candidate.
Conflicts
On September 27, 2023, Sher Afzal Marwat got into a heated argument with PML(N) senator Afnan Ullah during a live TV show on Express News, hosted by Javed Chaudhry. The verbal clash quickly turned physical, with Sher Afzal throwing punches.
Although Sher Afzal openly admitted to his involvement, there were conflicting reports from PML(N) politicians and media influencers suggesting that Sher Afzal had also suffered injuries. Nevertheless, an FIR filed by Senator Afnan Ullah confirmed that he was indeed on the receiving end of Sher Afzal’s punches. This incident attracted widespread attention, sparking discussions and debates in both political and media circles.