LAHORE: The Punjab government on Thursday amended the rules and procedures for appointment of additional and assistant advocate generals in the province.
A notification issued by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department in the name of the governor [sic] authorised the chief minister to make appointments to the offices of additional and the assistant advocate generals (AdAGs and AAGs). To this end, it amended the Sub Rule 4 of the Law Department manual which vested the power in the office of the governor.
The notification also removed the bar on the salary of these officers, earlier entitled to the salary and perks for grade 21 and 20, respectively.
Additional Advocate General Muhammad Hanif Khattana told The Express Tribune that after the amendment the AdAGs and AAGs would get perks allowed for grade 21 and 20, respectively, while their salary would be decided by the chief minister.
The notification also removed the minimum age requirement for the by striking out Clause A in Sub Rule 2 of the manual.
AdAG Khattana said that the clause had set the minimum age requirement for the two offices at 40 years. He said after the amendment lawyers, younger than 40 years, with a seven-to-10-year experience with the Lahore High Court were eligible for the two offices.
Meanwhile, AG Khawaja Haris’s resignation remains pending with the provincial government.
The government has reportedly refused to accept Haris’s resignation and has, therefore, not forwarded it to the governor, officials in the chief minister’s secretariat as well as the Governor’s House confirmed.
The government appears set to appoint personnel to the AdAG or the AAG offices that would benefit from these amendments in the rules and procedures.
The notification has been issued with the stamp and signature of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department Deputy Secretary (Admin) Muhammad Nader Khalique.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2011.
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