The federal government has failed to appoint secretary law on a permanent basis despite orders by the Supreme Court (SC) as the tenure of Ministry of Law’s senior consultant Raja Naeem Akbar as secretary law has been extended for three months for the fourth time, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.

The SC had ordered the federal government to appoint the law secretary on January 5, 2021. However, eight months have passed since the apex court gave the verdict, and still there is no appointment.

On the other hand when contacted, the Establishment Division told 24News that the process of hiring the secretary from the private sector had begun, and for that purpose the post had even been advertised, details of which were available on Division’s website.

Federal bureaucrats have told 24News that all departments seek guidance from the law secretary in legal matters.

They have further said that the present government in the past too had given the additional charge of secretary law to three officers namely Abdul Shakoor Piracha, Khashiur Rehman and Arshad Farooq Faheem, and now it, instead of filling the post on a permanent basis, has extended the tenure of senior consultant Raja Naeem Akbar.

Reporter Babar Shahzad Turk