Days after Mansoor Usman Awan withdrew from consideration for the position of attorney general for Pakistan (AGP), the federal government began the search for a replacement.
After former AGP Ashtar Ausaf Ali submitted his resignation in October of last year due to health reasons, the judiciary expressed disappointment with the government for failing to fill this crucial constitutional position.
Following Ausaf’s resignation on December 23, President Dr. Arif Alvi approved the appointment of Awan, a Supreme Court attorney, as the AGP. The appointment was not announced by the federal government, though.
Due to his health, Ausaf had asked Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to remove him. However, the prime minister requested that he stay on until the appointment of his successor. He did not appear in court to speak for the federal government.
“I am going to meet with PM Shehbaz today (Saturday), and perhaps the matter of naming the new attorney general will be resolved within two or three days,” Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said.
Awan initially agreed to serve as attorney general but later declined the position verbally and in writing, citing his professional obligations, he revealed.
“I can’t disclose the names of the new potential candidates, who are being nominated for the position of the attorney general, but hopefully, the prime minister will finalize the name within two to three days,” he told The News.
Tarar said he would meet with the prime minister today and discuss the matter. He went on to say that the government was being very cautious in response to the concerns raised by the judiciary regarding the prolonged search for an AGP.
Following the AGP’s office’s failure to support Pakistan’s Supreme Court (SC) in a case involving real estate on January 11, the SC also questioned the new AGP’s legitimacy.
A two-member SC bench led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa took up the case after taking note of the appointment of the new AGP and the resignation of the previous AGP.
The secretary of law was called before the court and told to appear at the subsequent hearing with all the paperwork about the resignation of the previous attorney general and the appointment of the new one.
The judge commented during the hearing that “the office of Awan, the new AGP, has not been properly assisting the court in cases for which it is seeking an explanation.”.
Justice Isa asked Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Shafqat Abbasi during the hearing, “Who is the attorney general?” and Shafqat Abbasi responded, “Ashtar Ausaf.”.
Justice Isa stated, “Ausaf has resigned, and his resignation has been accepted.
He inquired, “Who is the new attorney general?”. The deputy attorney general claimed to be unaware of it.
Aamir Rehman, the Additional Attorney General (AAG), was questioned by Justice Isa about the new AGP, but he also did not comment.
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