Won’t tolerate interference: Attorney General

ISLAMABAD: The newly-appointed Attorney General of Pakistan, Khalid Javed Khan, on Wednesday said he doesn’t tolerate interference and would always give his opinion with honesty whether it is Musharraf’s case or Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s case.

In an informal chat with members of the Press Association of Supreme Court (PAS), the attorney general said that although he has a political background, but he does not have any political affiliation, adding that whether it is the case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto or former president Pervez Musharraf, he will discharge his duties with professional obligation and will assist the court as he was required to do according to the Constitution and law.

He said that Pakistan is determined to pursue its cases pending at the international front and efforts will be made to get a stay order issued against the over $6 billion fine imposed on Pakistan in the Reko Diq case. He said that Reko Diq is a case of Pakistan’s economic survival and if Pakistan lost the case, foreign assets of the country could be affected.

“Hence efforts will be made to get a stay order issued against the over $6 billion fine imposed on Pakistan in the Reko Diq case,” Khalid Javed said, adding that reporters covering the Supreme Court will be formally updated and provided information regarding the hearing of the foreign cases.

Last year in July, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) of the World Bank rendered almost $6 billion (Rs950 billion) award against Pakistan in Reko Diq case. The arbitration case started in July 2012 with the constitution of the tribunal, and the final award announcement had been awaited since last year. On Friday, the tribunal concluded the case in 700-page verdict awarding a massive $4 billion in penalty and around $2 billion in interest and the expenditure incurred on the case by the TCC. Since this is the largest award in the history of the tribunal, Pakistan now faces a serious threat of assets seizure abroad.

Khalid Javed said that after assuming his charge, he in his meeting with the Prime Minister Imran Khan had made it clear to him that he will not defend the federal government in the petition filed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, challenging the presidential reference in the Supreme Court. Khalid Javed said that he has always tried to be more professional in his filed and discharging his professional obligations with commitment. He said that the prime minister might have nominated him as he was very much professional, adding that he would try his best to come up to the expectation of the federal government and will ensure his professional capabilities to the best of his knowledge and wisdom and will play his role positively as he was required to. He said the support assured by the prime minister has further strengthened him and hopefully he will play constructive role as a strong bridge between the executive and the judiciary.

Khlaid Javed said that he was not in favour of long adjournment of cases before the courts and believes that cases pertaining to basic and fundamental rights of the people should be decided at the earliest.

In this respect, Khalid Javed said that he has brought into the notice of the prime minister of all those important cases pending before the court, adding that the list of cases, he has provided to the prime minister included the matter of interment centres in tribal areas.

To another question, he said that he is quite comfortable with the Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem.