Prosecutor General on ‘forced’ leave after row with Sanaullah?

Chasm between coalition partners in Punjab govt continues to widen.

LAHORE: The chasm between the coalition partners in the Punjab government continues to widen as Prosecutor General Syed Zahid Hussain Bukhari appointed under the coalition agreement was sent off on forced leave 10 days ago. Bukahri was appointed on the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) recommendation.

Under the coalition agreement, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was given the choice of the advocate general while the PPP was to put forward a candidate for prosecutor general.

According to sources at the Public Prosecution Department, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, who also helms the Public Prosecution Department, met with Bukhari in his chamber about 15 days ago. Sanaullah, the sources said, reprimanded Bukhari and directed him to leave the department.

Bukhari was appointed prosecutor general in March 2009. He has a contract for three years.  He is the father of PPP’s Azma Zahid Bukhari. His son-in-law Samiullah Khan is a former PPP Lahore chapter president

The leave period is 55 days.

When contacted by The Express Tribune, Bukhari said that he had not been able to avail leave since his appointment and he was facing health issues which required bed rest; hence the leave. To a further question, he retorted, “Who can send me on forced leave?” Bukhari mentioned that he had been appointed under an agreement between the PPP and PML-N for three years. He laughed off rumours of a tussle between him and Sanaullah. “I just got my earned leave,” he said.

The Public Prosecution Department’s secretary, Maqbool Ahmed, said that Bukhari was on leave for medical reasons. Sources within the PPP say that the Punjab chapter’s office bearers are willing to part with the coalition government while PPP’s provincial ministers are reluctant to do so. The alleged forced leave of Bukhari was a strong message to the PPP to leave the coalition. The issue would be discussed at the party’s central executive.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2010.