Appointment of new AGP challenged

LAHORE: A writ petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court challenging appointment of Additional Advocate General Asma Hamid as Advocate General Punjab.

Barrister Javed Iqbal Jafree has filed the petition, saying that Asma Hamid was appointed as principal law officer of Punjab in violation of merit. He alleged that she was appointed on political basis and many senior law officers were ignored to fill the post.

The lawyer pointed out that there was no mechanism to fill the constitutional post of Advocate General Punjab. He asked the court to set aside the appointment of Asma Hamid as AGP for being on political grounds. On the other hand, the Punjab government had issued notification of Asma’s appointment as AGP.

She is the first woman who has been appointed as the principal law officer of the province after Shakil-ur-Rehman Khan resigned from the office on Saturday evening because of ending constitutional term of the provincial government on May 31st. The convention is that every interim government appoints AGP of its own choice, perhaps, it was the reason that Shakil-ur-Rehman Khan resigned as Advocate General Punjab and called on Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a farewell gathering held at Model Town office on Monday evening.