Removal of AG Punjab: LHC adjourns case till Feb 1
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Lahore High Court on Tuesday heard the petition of Advocate General of Punjab Ahmad Awais against his removal, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The arguments of lawyers of Advocate General Ahmad Awais and Punjab government lawyers were completed.
Advocate Hamid Khan appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that the caretaker government had no powers to terminate the advocate general. He pleaded the court said a caretaker government could not perform the functions of an elected government as it was formed to assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold fair and free elections only. He asked the court to set aside the removal of the advocate general being unlawful. Justice Asim Hafeez heard the petition of Ahmed Awais.
Advocate Mansoor Awan from the Punjab government apprised the court that the caretaker government has the legal power to remove the advocate general.
He contended that the relationship between the government and the advocate general is like that of a client and a lawyer. “There is a relationship of trust and confidence between the client and the lawyer,” he added.
The Caretaker Government is free as to whom it appoints as its advocate, adds Mansoor. He said that the advocate general was supposed to work till the pleasure of the chief minister.
He pleaded that under various provisions of the election act, the caretaker government can appoint an Advocate General for a short period of time. He referred to the judicial decisions of the High Court and Supreme Court.
The court adjourned the hearing of the case till 9:30 tomorrow morning (Feb 1).
It is pertinent that the caretaker government removed AGP Awais on Jan 24 and assigned a look-after charge to additional advocate general Muhammad Jawad Yaqoob.
The government had also removed law officers, including 32 additional and 65 assistant advocate generals. The LHC had restored some of the law officers who challenged their removal.
The government also appointed 55 new additional and assistant advocate generals.