LAHORE: Lahore High Court chief justice on Friday allowed Ahmad Awais to continue his work as Punjab Advocate General and directed the provincial authorities not to stop him from doing his job.
LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti was hearing a petition filed by Mr Awais challenging the notification of the Punjab government which stopped him from doing his job. The chief justice sought a written reply from all the concerned parties including Punjab chief secretary to ensure that no facility would be taken back from Advocate General Ahmad Awais.
Additional advocate general Ch Jawad Yaqoob appeared before the court on behalf of the Punjab government. Shafqat Mehmood Chohan advocate and other lawyers appeared in the court to represent the advocate general.
Then the CJ asked the additional advocate general whom he was representing? AAG Yaqoob said that he was representing the Punjab government. Chief Justice Bhatti asked him under which law he was appointed to the office of advocate general.
On this, Mr Yaqoob said that it was an internal mechanism through which he was given the responsibilities. The CJ wondered how on earth the law secretary could assign him this charge. Mr Yaqoob, however, told the court that Mr Awais is still the advocate general ‘but my clients do not repose confidence in him’. The AAG contended that Advocate General Awais did not consider the interests of the Punjab government.
Mr Chohan told the court that Mr Awais was forcefully removed from his office and his security was withdrawn. Visibly annoyed by this, the chief justice asked the AAG to get a written reply from all concerned secretaries that AG Ahmad would be having all facilities and no benefit that came with the job would be withdrawn.