Farogh Naseem to be sworn in as law minister again

He had resigned to represent COAS in his tenure extension case before the apex court

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to reappoint the MQM-Pakistan Senator Farogh Naseem as his government's law minister, two days after he resigned from his post to represent army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa before the Supreme Court in a case regarding an extension in his tenure.

The Supreme Court on Thursday approved a conditional extension in army chief's tenure for an additional six months who was set to retire on November 29.

The three-judge bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa in a short order said it was granting the COAS a conditional extension of six months, giving parliament time to clarify the constitutional guidelines under which an army chief’s tenure could be prolonged.

“Considering that the (army chief) is responsible for the command, discipline, training, administration, organisation and preparedness for war of the army … we, while exercising restraint, find it appropriate to leave the matter to the parliament,” Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa told the court.

According to sources, Naseem will be sworn in as Federal Minister for Law and Justice on Friday. President Arif Alvi will administer the oath at his official residence in Islamabad after which the Cabinet Division will issue a notification of his appointment.



Earlier in the day, the barrister refuted "rumours" that PM Imran reprimanded the government's legal team for mishandling the matter of army chief's extension.

“I want to clarify this that no one asked me to resign… neither Prime Minister Imran Khan nor General Bajwa…I resigned for my country voluntarily,” he said.

PM Imran in the past had hailed the senior lawyer as one of his "favourite" ministers in the federal cabinet.