Tarar to return as law minister

With retirement of army chief and PM rejecting his resignation, he will take over his former post again

ISLAMABAD:

Azam Nazeer Tarar will soon take over his post of the law minister again after the retirement of army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Tarar said he had accepted to return to his former portfolio because Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had rejected his resignation.

Sources close to Tarar said both PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PM Shehbaz had instructed him to resume working as the law minister from Tuesday.

However, he sought time to consult with his bar fellows, who also suggested him to return to his former portfolio again.

It has been learnt that several federal ministers visited Tarar's residence in Islamabad on Tuesday, requesting him to take over as the law minister.

They included Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Economic Affairs Minister Ayaz Sadiq and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique.

Earlier, powerful circles were upset at the ‘anti-establishment slogans’ raised during the Asma Jahangir Conference last month in his presence.

During the conference, where he was the chief guest, some participants had chanted anti-establishment slogans while he was delivering a speech.

Following this episode, Tarar stepped down from the post of the law minister.

Besides, lawyers were also criticising him for endorsing the nomination of ‘junior judges’ for their elevation to the Supreme Court.

Read PM, Zardari put heads together over PTI threat

On October 25, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) approved the recommendation to elevate Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah as well as two ‘junior judges’ Justice Athar Shahid Waheed of the Lahore High Court and Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi of the Sindh High Court to the SC.

The legal fraternity believed that Tarar had tendered his resignation to placate the lawyers, who were dismayed because of his vote in the JCP meeting.

However, his resignation had failed to calm down the lawyers, who voted against the  Tarar-backed group in the Supreme Court Bar Association elections, resulting in its defeat.

Economic Affairs Minister Ayaz Sadiq was given the additional charge of the law ministry after his resignation.

Tarar is close to the Sharif family since the Panamagate case proceedings.

When the PML-N leaders, especially the Sharif family, were facing a tough time during the PTI regime, Tarar managed to help them in acquiring relief in courts.

The PML-N gave him a Senate seat in return for his services to the party.

Tarar is one of the key members of the Independent Lawyers Group, which is known as the Asma Jahangir Group.

Senior lawyers believe that the superior bars’ backing of the present regime was because of Tarar’s efforts.