AGP may have some legal tricks up his sleeve

Top law officer likely to wage legal battle for embattled PM

Hasnaat Malik March 18, 2022

AGP Khalid Javed Khan. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:

All eyes are on Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan, who has plans to defeat the opposition’s no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on legal grounds.

The prime minister has not yet taken any advice from the Law Ministry regarding imposition of the governor’s rule in Sindh as well as applicability of Article 63 A of the Constitution against disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, a senior Law Ministry official told The Express Tribune.

He said that the prime minister was taking all advice from the AGP. It is learnt that Imran was totally relying on the AGP’s advice on critical issues for the last couple of years. Even in legislative affairs, the Prime Minister’s Office was getting input from the AGP office.

Insiders revealed to The Express Tribune that the AGP had plans to defeat the no-confidence motion on legal grounds. They added that everything would be done in accordance with the law and the Constitution. However nobody shared the AGP’s plan, which he had shared only with Imran.

Also read: ‘24 PTI lawmakers’ surface from Sindh House amid horse-trading allegations

Legal experts believe that Prime Minister Imran was losing the political battle as several disgruntled PTI MNAs came on TV screen on Thursday and announced their support for the opposition in the no-confidence vote.

In case the National Assembly speaker acted on the AGP’s plan, the fate of the prime minister would be decided in the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) Secretary Omar Soomro said that all provincial bars would strongly resist the federal government’s move regarding imposition of governor’s rule in Sindh.

A lawyer said that after the passage of the 18th Amendment, the president’s power to impose governor’s rule in the province had been restricted, while parliament and the provincial assembly concerned had the vast powers to constrain it.