PHC takes notice of absence of DAGs in cases

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday took notice of the absence of the deputy attorney generals of Pakistan in cases and asked them to quit if they were not willing to appear before the court.

A division bench comprising Justice Ikramullah Khan and Justice Musarrat Hilali took serious notice of the absence of deputy attorney generals of Pakistan during the hearings.

"The Attorney General Office in KP should tender resignation as a whole if they are not interested to work with the present federal government anymore," Justice Ikramullah Khan observed. He added that they should also refrain from taking salaries and other privileges if they are not appearing before the courts in the cases.

Justice Ikramullah Khan remarked that the court would refer the matter to the NAB if they were not appearing before the courts and withdrawing salaries. The court took the notice after the absence of deputy advocate general in cases related to the federal government.

"The non-working deputy attorney generals in KP should tender resignations, otherwise, the court would denotify them as law officers," Justice Ikramullah observed. Later, Assistant Attorney General, Tariq Mansoor, representing the federal government in the cases, appeared and informed the court that he had tendered his resignation.

Sources told The News that the federal government had prepared a summary for replacement of the additional advocate general and deputy attorney generals, appointed during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government. It said that the summary had been forwarded to the Law and Justice Division for notification and that was why the present law officers are not interested in appearing in the cases.

Two law officers including Musarratullah Khan and now Assistant Attorney General, Tariq Mansoor had tendered their resignation. The lawyers affiliated with the Insaf Lawyers Forum would replace them.