‘Truthful’ sought as minister, AG trade charges

ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Farogh Nasim and former attorney general Anwar Mansoor on Thursday traded serious allegations against each other on the issue of the latter’s controversial statement in the Supreme Court during the hearing of a petition filed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, challenging the presidential reference filed against him.

Speaking in Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ hosted by Shahzeb Khanzada, Farogh Nasim said Anwar Mansoor’s version was based on lies and the government had no idea about the allegations on the apex court judges. He said the performance of the attorney general was not up to the mark in Justice Faez Isa case and he angered the judges through his bad performance due to which he was asked to resign. He said the government would have never allowed him to give the statement in the apex court had it known it before.

According to Shahzeb Khanzada, Anwar Mansoor said whatever he said about the judges in the apex court was in the knowledge of Farogh Nasim and Shahzad Akbar. He said his statement was part of government strategy.

In another TV interview, Anwar Mansoor Khan said no one from the government has spoken to him, therefore, the question of taking his resignation didn’t arise. He said everyone in the government was aware of his statement in the court. He categorically denied that he was asked to resign by the government.

Earlier, Anwar Mansoor Khan relinquished the highest legal office of Attorney General of Pakistan and tendered his resignation to President Arif Alvi. Anwar Mansoor Khan’s resignation came after the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the apex body of the legal fraternity, demanded his resignation over some allegations he had levelled against the SupremeCourt bench, hearing a petition of Justice Qazi Faez Isa, challenging the presidential reference filed against him.

A 10-member full court of the Supreme Court hearing Justice Faez Isa’s petition had directed Anwar Mansoor Khan on Wednesday directed Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan to produce before it evidence supporting his statement he had made about the bench or submit written apology before it. The court had taken strong exception to the manner in which the attorney general was arguing in his rebuttal and observed that instead of establishing his case, he was not fully prepared but wasting its time.

Appointed under Article 100 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the attorney general is required to give advice to the federal government on legal matters, and to perform other duties of a legal character assigned to him by the federal government.

Moreover, the attorney general has the right of audience in all courts and tribunals in the country. Anwar Mansoor put himself in trouble when he made a statement about the bench. The court had asked the media not to report the statement of Anwar Mansoor, but on the next day, when the court found arguments of the former AG irrelevant and after admonishing him for wasting its time had sought evidence, supporting his statement he had made about the bench or submit written apology.

On Thursday, Anwar Mansoor Khan stepped down as attorney general after tendering his resignation to the President of Pakistan as per Article 100 of the Constitution. In his resignation letter, Anwar Mansoor Khan said he resigned from his office on the demand of the PBC.

"I note with profound regret that the Pakistan Bar Council, of which I am the chairman, has demanded through its press release dated February 19, 2020 that I resign forthwith from the office of the attorney general for Pakistan," he wrote in his resignation letter.

"Being a life member of the Karachi Bar Association, Sindh Bar Association and the SCBA, and having previously served as the advocate general Sindh, the attorney general for Pakistan and a judge of the High Court of Sindh, I stand with my brothers and colleagues at the bar and I wish to reaffirm my faith in the highest principles of integrity and professional excellence that the PBC has always stood for.

"Accordingly, I hereby resign from the position of the attorney general and request you to accept it with immediate effect. In the last year and a half, I worked to the best of my ability to serve this solemn office with honesty of purpose, and commitment to upholding the Constitution. I wish my successor the very best of success and pray that God may continue to shower His countless blessings on our motherland and nation," he wrote.

It is pertinent to mention here that besides seeking his resignation, the PBC had also filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Nasim and Anwar Mansoor Khan for making statement against the bench of the apex court.

Although, Anwar Mansoor Khan said that he had tendered his resignation on the demand of PBC, but the Minister for Law Farogh Nasim and Asset Recovery Unit chief Shahzad Akbar said that the federal government had asked AG Anwar Mansoor to quit.

Taking to media, the minister said the government had told the attorney general that it would be better if he submits his resignation himself.

Meanwhile, the federal government has disassociated itself from the statement given by Anwar Mansoor before the supreme court, levelling allegations against the bench hearing Justice Faez Isa’s petition.

The Law Ministry has submitted a response on behalf of the government including the president, prime minister, law minister, Shahzad Akbar, Chairman ARU, and Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, legal expert ARU, all are respondents in Justice Faez Isa petition.

The government submitted that the oral statement made by the AG was “unauthorised, without instructions and knowledge of the federal government and the answering respondents, and totally uncalled for".

"It is pointed out that the federal government and the answering respondents hold the superior judiciary for Pakistan in the highest respect and esteem,” said the response.

"Accordingly, the federal government and the answering respondents dissociate themselves from the statement of the learned attorney general made on February 18 before the court," the response read.

"The federal government and the answering respondents verily believe in the rule of law, constitutionalism and the independence of judiciary," it added.

Meanwhile, the government appointed Khalid Javed, senior lawyer and having expertise in corporate side in legal profession, as the new Attorney General for Pakistan after Anwar Mansoor Khan relinquished the post.

“I have been consulted for the post of Attorney General to which I consented,” Khalid Javed confirmed to The News.

"Right now I cannot go into details but I had been consulted for the post of AGP to which I consented and hopefully, a notification for my appointment will be issued today (Friday),” Khalid Javed said.