Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Hours after Anwar Mansoor Khan resigned from his post, the PTI-led government has decided to appoint renowned lawyer Khalid Javed Khan as Attorney General for Pakistan, sources said on Thursday.
A senior govt official has confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved Khalid’s nomination and a notification in this regard will be issued today. Anwar departure came in the wake of Pakistan Bar Council’s demand that he stepped down over his contemptuous comments regarding a full-court bench hearing Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s case against the presidential reference.
In a letter addressed to President Dr Arif Alvi, Anwar had said he was a life-time member of the Karachi, Sindh and Supreme Court bar associations and wanted to “reaffirm faith in the highest principles of integrity and professional excellence that the Pakistan Bar Council has always stood for”.
The development comes a day after the Supreme Court ordered him to tender an apology or come up with “some material” on the basis of which he made certain remarks that concerned members of a bench that is hearing a set of challenges against the filing of the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.The order came after the top law officer had made a controversial statement, now expunged, about the apex court bench.
“As [a] certain statement was made by the AG about the bench yesterday, it would be appreciated if the material on the basis of which the statement was made is placed on record before the bench,” a visibly disturbed Justice Umar Ata Bandial said while dictating the order at the end of Wednesday’s hearing.
Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) vice-chairman Abid Saqi and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Syed Qalbe Hassan were also present for the court proceedings on Wednesday. The two had earlier condemned the attorney general’s statement and decided to move a contempt of court petition against Anwar as well as Law Minister Farogh Naseem as the ‘highly objectionable’ statement (now expunged) was made in the law minister’s presence.
In a statement, PBC vice president had asked the attorney general to submit an unconditional written apology along with his resignation for his “unbecoming conduct”. The statement added that the PBC would not tolerate any government-sponsored attempt to undermine the independence of the judiciary and the process of dispensation of justice.
“Being most disturbed by the unprecedented behaviour of the AG towards the apex court,” the PBC stated, adding that it would file contempt of court petition against the attorney general as well as the law minister. Later, a contempt of court petition was also drafted but could not be filed in time.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem said on Thursday the federal government had asked Attorney General for Pakistan Anwar Mansoor to quit.
The law minister said the government respects courts and maintained that Anwar Mansoor gave statement before the Supreme Court (SC) without the government’s permission while representing it. Barrister Farogh Naseem said the government had told the attorney general that it would be better if he submits his resignation himself.
