I won’t work under law minister: Khosa
Latif Khosa says he will not work under the instructions of Babar Awan while appearing before the Supreme Court.
ISLAMABAD:
Federation’s new attorney Sardar Latif Khan Khosa on Wednesday said that he would not work under the instructions of Law Minister Babar Awan when appearing before the Supreme Court in the NRO cases. He said this before leaving the premises of the apex court where the government’s strategy of buying more time remained successful in what is widely seen as a showdown between two organs of the state – the judiciary and the government.
“I will take instructions from the prime minister, believing that the SC’s larger bench will provide justice to my client (government) in the most ‘complicated case’ to be heard in the first week of November,” he added.
A beaming Khosa told The Express Tribune that, “I returned to put on my black coat – a profession my family adopted three generations ago.” But the legal battle he is tasked to mount on the tricky subject of graft amnesty – aka NRO – might not bring him much joy.
Even on his first day in his new position, he faced some anxious moments. Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, for instance, was traditionally in an aggressive mood as he asked him: “Was it inevitable for the government to appoint Kamal Azfar as adviser to the prime minister?” Khosa had no choice but to offer a sheepish smile and say, “Janab ko pata to hai [your honour knows it well].”
Some judges, though, exhibited a lighter mood and engaged Khosa in innocuous conversation about why the government felt the need to swap his role with that of Kamal Azfar.
Latif Khosa remained the focus of attention in Courtroom No 1 throughout the little more than five-hour of proceedings in the NRO cases. At least 65 journalists belonging to national and international media were covering the court proceedings.
Hundreds of lawyers were in attendance. The media persons waited, apparently expecting some harsh instructions from the larger bench might issue some harsh instructions but the court’s mood remained cool throughout.
The legal team of the government also played it cool.
Attorney General Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq, as is his wont, played a soft and defensive inning on Wednesday while representing the government. However, he seemed a little confused when Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed him to put the matter of appointment of new NAB chief in front of the appointing authorities (President Zardari and Premier Gilani) as they did not consult with the chief justice in the matter, as required under the constitution.
Then, the chief justice turned towards NAB officials when he rejected their report pertaining to NRO compliance.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2010.
Federation’s new attorney Sardar Latif Khan Khosa on Wednesday said that he would not work under the instructions of Law Minister Babar Awan when appearing before the Supreme Court in the NRO cases. He said this before leaving the premises of the apex court where the government’s strategy of buying more time remained successful in what is widely seen as a showdown between two organs of the state – the judiciary and the government.
“I will take instructions from the prime minister, believing that the SC’s larger bench will provide justice to my client (government) in the most ‘complicated case’ to be heard in the first week of November,” he added.
A beaming Khosa told The Express Tribune that, “I returned to put on my black coat – a profession my family adopted three generations ago.” But the legal battle he is tasked to mount on the tricky subject of graft amnesty – aka NRO – might not bring him much joy.
Even on his first day in his new position, he faced some anxious moments. Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, for instance, was traditionally in an aggressive mood as he asked him: “Was it inevitable for the government to appoint Kamal Azfar as adviser to the prime minister?” Khosa had no choice but to offer a sheepish smile and say, “Janab ko pata to hai [your honour knows it well].”
Some judges, though, exhibited a lighter mood and engaged Khosa in innocuous conversation about why the government felt the need to swap his role with that of Kamal Azfar.
Latif Khosa remained the focus of attention in Courtroom No 1 throughout the little more than five-hour of proceedings in the NRO cases. At least 65 journalists belonging to national and international media were covering the court proceedings.
Hundreds of lawyers were in attendance. The media persons waited, apparently expecting some harsh instructions from the larger bench might issue some harsh instructions but the court’s mood remained cool throughout.
The legal team of the government also played it cool.
Attorney General Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq, as is his wont, played a soft and defensive inning on Wednesday while representing the government. However, he seemed a little confused when Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed him to put the matter of appointment of new NAB chief in front of the appointing authorities (President Zardari and Premier Gilani) as they did not consult with the chief justice in the matter, as required under the constitution.
Then, the chief justice turned towards NAB officials when he rejected their report pertaining to NRO compliance.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2010.