Zahid Hamid to assist Shehbaz on legal affairs

Hamid 'resigned' from law ministry last year after an infamous Constitutional Amendment sparked countrywide protests


Rameez Khan December 20, 2018
Shehbaz Sharif. PHOTO: EXPRESS

LAHORE: PML-N announced on Wednesday it has made former law minister Zahid Hamid the legal adviser to president PML-N and the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif.

According to the party, Zahid Hamid would assist Shehbaz Sharif in party affairs and in assembly on legal matters. It was further told that Zahid Hamid had been playing a very important role in the legal affairs of the party and was also very instrumental during elections.

Throughout the election process, Zahid assisted Shehbaz Sharif on legal matters, party sources added. The appointment of Zahid Hamid may come as a surprise to many.

Zahid Hamid had to resign from his ministry back in November 2017 after an infamous Constitutional Amendment that sparked a spate of countrywide protests.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif ordered an inquiry into the matter by a team led by party chairman Raja Zafarul Haq. The report, however, was never made public, but Raja Zafarul Haq did call it a deep conspiracy.

Back in the day, when PML-N government was forced to accept its mistake after the public backlash, party tried to defuse the situation by calling it a clerical error. However, Shehbaz Sharif disagreed with his own party and even demanded that the man responsible for the mistake be kicked out from the party. Eventually, Zahid Hamid resigned within two months of the controversy.

It is also pertinent to mention here that Zahid Hamid’ law ministry was presumed to be primarily responsible for this controversy, whereas many parliamentarians held him responsible for this amendment.

Zahid robustly tried to justify the amendment, after the opposition created hue and cry over the issue. It was only later due to the public backlash that the government realized its blunder, and tried mending the situation by calling it a clerical error.

Several party leaders when asked to comment on his appointment refused to even discuss the matter and called the controversy a closed transaction.

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