Lucrative post: Three attorneys in race for AGP job

Incumbent Munir A Malik formally tenders resignation to PM.

ISLAMABAD:

Three contenders for the coveted post of Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) have come to the fore after the incumbent, Munir A Malik, quit, citing domestic and professional difficulties.

Malik formally handed over his resignation letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday, a high official stationed at prime minister’s office told The Express Tribune.

Attorneys Salman Butt, Akram Sheikh and Ashtar Ausaf are said to be under consideration as Malik’s replacement.

Officials confirmed that Malik, disgruntled by non-cooperation of officials in pursuing of high-profile cases, had already conveyed his decision to the prime minister on Tuesday.

“Though the PM asked Malik to review his decision, he left the job,” a close friend of the AGP said.

“Malik had conveyed his grievances to the premier a number of times over the non-cooperation of officials while assisting the court in important cases, but the PM despite assurances did not take notice to resolve the differences,” he said.

Malik tried to avoid more confrontation by leaving a central post instead of deepening the differences, as senior officials of the law ministry had already started lobbying to replace the AGP,” he said.

Officials at the PM House say that advisers have recommended three names for AGP to the prime minister including Salman Butt, Akram Sheikh and Ashtar Ausaf.

Defending govt in court

Nawaz Sharif had chosen Munir A Malik as AGP soon after assuming charge as the premier. However, sources said, defence minister Khwaja Asif was not satisfied with performance of the AGP in the missing persons’ case in Supreme Court.

Making enemies

The AGP left many PML-N high-ups angry when instead of appointing lawyers belonging to the party. Later on, after facing internal criticism for not obliging its own party lawyers, the federal government on September 20 appointed dozens of PML-N lawyers as law officers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2014.