Moving on: Sindh AG quits, cites 'personal reasons'

Khalid Javed Khan says resignation is not due to any govt pressure.

KARACHI:

Provincial advocate general Khalid Javed Khan resigned from the post on Saturday after serving in the office for six months, citing ‘personal reasons’.

His predecessor, Abdul Fateh Malik, is one of the potential candidates who are likely to succeed Khan.

Barrister Khan, who holds LLB and LLM degrees from the Oxford and Harvard universities, was appointed by the Sindh governor last June, when his predecessor resigned.

“I was appointed by the government for three months till the new AG was appointed,” he told The Express Tribune. “But I had to continue till December because that period of time was crucial and the government could not appoint anyone else,” he added.

A professional lawyer, he was comparatively young to be chosen for the crucial office, which plays the role of a bridge between the institutes of judiciary and the provincial executive.

The son of a seasoned politician, affiliated with the Pakistan Peoples Party, ND Khan, he felt content that he had performed the assigned task not only to the satisfaction of the government, but to his own contentment too.



Some of the major cases in which he had to defend the government before the courts include the Karachi law and order suo motu, government officers’ promotions and the local bodies elections.

Legal community members remarked that the Karachi law and order suo motu proceedings was the one case he handled in such a way that he would candidly come up with the truth, admit the authorities’ shortcomings and assist the apex court in directing how to overcome the same — an act the AG, being the government’s defender, cannot afford to do.

He brushed aside the impression that he had tendered his resignation out of pressure from the government or differences with the authorities. “I had absolute freedom from the government quarters to handle the cases,” said Khan, terming the period of service as AG as one of the memorable times of his carrier.

Sources told The Express Tribune that former president Asif Ali Zardari had met Barrister Khan last week and also wished him to continue in the office. The latter, however, excused himself from the job.

“I have to refuse my clients everyday due to this job which is why I waited till December for the government to appoint the new AG. Today, I presented my resignation to the chief minister because I feel there is no major crisis, except a few minor issues.”

Khan’s resignation has not yet been accepted by the competent authority. On the other hand, officials said that the former AG and additional advocate general Miran Muhammad Shah have been suggested for the AG office.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2014.