AAGs’ appointments challenged in LHC

Petitioner says respondents are ILF office-bearers

LAHORE:

A writ petition was filed in the Lahore High Court seeking direction to declare appointments of two additional advocate generals as illegal who are not only serving as law officers but are also active office-bearers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf which is a sheer violation of law.

Petitioner Afzaal Azem Pahat made the Punjab government, the advocate-general of Punjab and the additional advocate-generals Umair Khan Niazi and Anis Ali Hashmi as respondents.

He implored the court that respondents Umair and Anis are the office bearers of the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF).

Initially they have also served as president and general secretaries of Punjab ILF for more than five years. Subsequently, they were appointed as central president and provincial president of Punjab respectively.

By virtue of their being present officers of the ILF the respondents are also members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and provincial executive committee respectively of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

After that the respondents were appointed additional advocate generals.

It is pertinent to mention that being the office-bearers of the ILF, they have accepted the said appointments as additional advocate-generals of Punjab in sheer violation of the Constitution and judgments of the superior courts.

He submitted in his petition that the office of additional advocate general is office of profit, and it deals with the affairs of the province and squarely falls within the domain of “Service of Pakistan” hence the respondents being the active office-bearers of the ILF and political party could not be appointed and hold the posts of additional advocate-generals of Punjab.

He prayed the court that the appointments of the respondents be declared illegal and unlawful, and other perks and privileges drawn by the respondents (aforementioned two additional advocate generals) be recovered from them.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2021.