Farogh Naseem rejoins cabinet as law minister

ISLAMABAD: Senator Farogh Naseem of MQM-P took oath as the federal minister for the third time on Friday. 

President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath to Farogh Naseem in a ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr also attended by federal cabinet members and senior officers.

He has been allocated the portfolio of "Law and Justice" by Prime Minister Imran Khan and a notification to this effect was issued by the Cabinet  Division. 

Naseem had resigned from his post last month to represent the federal government in a petition filed in the Supreme Court by Justice Qazi Faez Isa against the presidential reference.

In a statement, Naseem had said that he had presented himself to appear as the counsel in the presidential reference against the judge, on the request of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“I will represent the federation in the case and therefore I have tendered my resignation as the law minister”, Naseem had said, adding that he had great respect for the judiciary.

Naseem had resigned for the first time as law minister back in November 2019 to represent the government's stance in a case pertaining to General Bajwa's extension.

"Let me tell you that Farogh Naseem has resigned voluntarily," Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability, Shahzad Akbar had said. "He will present himself before the court with the attorney general and represent the government's stance on General Bajwa's extension," he added.

Akbar had said that Naseem had resigned as he could not argue the case as the federal law minister.

Naseem had taken up the mantle again after the case had been wrapped up.