Court seeks detail of lawofficers recruitment process

LAHORE :The Lahore High Court Friday directed the advocate general of Punjab to apprise of the procedure for the appointment of the law officers in the province.

Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah was hearing a petition moved by two lawyers challenging appointment process for government’s law officers and seeking a direction to formulate a mechanism for the purpose beyond political consideration.

Advocate Chaudhry Shoaib Saleem argued that the law officers had been appointed on political consideration who remained loyal to the ruling party instead of the State. He said the government lawyers drew salaries from taxpayers' money but defended a specific political government.

He referred to a recent incident wherein an additional advocate general belonged to the Pakistan Muslim League-N lawyers’ wing slapped a police officer outside an accountability court of Islamabad during hearing of NAB references against Sharif family. The petitioner-lawyer said the conduct of the law officer, who was later sacked, established that the law officers had been appointed merely on political grounds.

He said appointment mechanism for law officers was not regulated by any rules or law and was totally dependent on the pleasure of the executive head of the government, which is itself against the fair exercise of discretionary appointments.

He pleaded that professionalism could be introduced in the law officers if some procedure was adopted for the appointment at the advocate general office through proper advertisements, written tests or interviews.

Opposing the petition, Additional Advocate General Anwaar Hussain argued that the chief minister of the province enjoyed discretionary powers under Article 140 of the Constitution to make appointments at the Advocate General office.

He said the Supreme Court had already decided a similar matter in many judgments upholding the powers of the executive. The chief justice deferred hearing until November 13 and directed the AGP to apprise of the mechanism for the recruitment of the law officers.