ISLAMABAD: Anwar Mansoor Khan, Thursday afternoon resigned in a surprise move as Attorney General of Pakistan, he told media that he resigned after the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) demanded his resignation from the post. He was the chairman of the PBC by virtue of his post as attorney-general.
“I didn’t want to leave them behind”, he said, adding that he decided to resign last night. His resignation letter has been sent to the president.
It is to mention here that the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) had on Wednesday directed Khan to produce evidence supporting a statement he made about the 10-member bench challenging the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa or submit a written apology.
At an earlier hearing, Khan had leveled allegations against the bench that he later withdrew. The court restrained the media from publishing the allegation but had expressed its displeasure.
The PBC asked the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings against him and Law Minister Farogh Nasim for his comments.
In his resignation letter, Khan said, “Being a life member of Karachi Bar Association, Sindh Bar Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association, and having previously serves as the advocate-general Sindh, the attorney-general for Pakistan and a judge of the High Court of Sindh, I stand with my brothers and colleagues at the Bar and I wish to reaffirm my faith in the highest principles of integrity and professional excellence that the Pakistan Bar Council has always stood for.”
The law ministry has said that it had asked for Khan’s resignation. He did not do it voluntarily, according to the ministry.
The Supreme Court had on Wednesday directed Khan to produce evidence supporting a statement he made about the 10-member bench challenging the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa or submit a written apology.
At a February 18 hearing, Khan had levelled allegations against the bench that he later withdrew. The court restrained the media from publishing the allegation but had expressed its displeasure.
In his resignation letter, Khan said, “Being a life member of Karachi Bar Association, Sindh Bar Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association, and having previously serves as the advocate-general Sindh, the attorney-general for Pakistan and a judge of the High Court of Sindh, I stand with my brothers and colleagues at the Bar and I wish to reaffirm my faith in the highest principles of integrity and professional excellence that the Pakistan Bar Council has always stood for.”
The law ministry has said that it had asked for Khan’s resignation. He did not do it voluntarily, according to the ministry. In a written reply submitted to the court, the ministry said Khan made “an oral statement before the learned bench, which was unauthorized, without instructions and knowledge of the federal government and the answering respondents, and totally uncalled for”. The ministry also distanced itself from the statement.
The law ministry has said that it had asked for Khan’s resignation. He did not do it voluntarily, according to the ministry.
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