Pakistan Bar Council asks PM Imran to expel Farogh Naseem from cabinet

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February 22, 2020

The Pakistan Bar Council's statement comes after former Attorney General of Pakistan, Anwar Mansoor Khan, said Naseem on board...

File photo by T. Mughal/EPA

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has called upon Prime Minister Imran Khan to expel Federal Law Minister Farogh Naseem from the cabinet after former attorney general for Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan said Naseem was aware of his comments against judges.

Read more:Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan resigns from office after run-in with Supreme Court

The press release appreciated the former attorney general to tender his resignation in line with the PBC's demand. However, it said that his statement that the controversial remarks were in line with the government's stance perturbed the PBC.

"Divulging certain facts by him [Anwar Mansoor] while speaking to the media afterwards, that his statement before the Supreme Court was in line with the stance of the Federal Government and the concerned person [Farogh Naseem] in the Government was fully aware of it, is alarming as it reflects nefarious designs of the government to bow down the judiciary," read the press release.

The government on Thursday submitted a response to the Supreme Court regarding the statements made by the former attorney general in court earlier in the week, saying that the remarks by Khan were unauthorised and without the knowledge of the federal government.

The PBC said that it seemed as if Naseem was the "master mind of the conspiracy against the judiciary" keeping in mind his "dubious past conduct" in filing of a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, acting as former military dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf's lead counsel and "his having all set to become counsel for the incumbent COAS in his case of extension in service".

The press released said that keeping in mind the minister's past, it seems that he does not believe in democratic forces or continuity of the democratic process. The PBC called on a judicial commission to investigate Naseem.

"The Prime Minister of Pakistan is urged upon to immediately expel him from the Federal Cabinet in the larger national interest and continuity of the democratically elected government, lest it is too late," read the statement.

Attorney general was asked to resign: Naseem

Talking to media on Thursday, Naseem said that the centre had nothing to do with the remarks that had been made in court by the former attorney general.

Anwar Mansoor Khan was asked to resign after his controversial statement in the Supreme Court, Law Minister Farogh Naseem and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar said.

The statements from the ministers came after secretary law submitted a response in the SC on behalf of the president, the prime minister, law minister and SAPM on accountability regarding the controversial statement from the attorney general.



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