Govt likely to appoint new AG within two days

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is likely to appoint the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) within two days.

The government is facing embarassment from the judiciary for not filling this important constitutional post after Ashter Ausaf tendered his resignation in October last year.

President Arif Alvi on December 23 approved the appointment of Supreme Court lawyer Mansoor Usman Awan as the Attorney General for Pakistan after accepting the resignation of Ashter Ausaf Ali. However, the federal government did not notify the appointment.

Ashter Ausaf had requested Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to relieve him, citing health reasons. However, the prime minister asked him to continue till the appointment of his predecessor. Ashter, however, did not turn up at the court to represent the federal government.

“I am going to meet Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif today (Saturday) and possibly the issue of appointing the new attorney general will be finalised within two or three days,” said Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, Federal Minister for Law and Justice.

He said first Mansoor Usman Awan consented to be the attorney general but later he verbally and in writing refused to accept the office, citing his engagements in his capacity as a private counsel.

“I can’t disclose the names of the new potential candidates, being nominated for the slot of attorney general but hopefully the prime minister will finalise the name within two to three days,” he told The News on Friday. Tarar said he will especially meet the prime minister on Saturday (today) and will discuss the issue with him adding the government was quite cautious about the concerns being shown by the judiciary over the delay in filling the post of AG.