ISLAMABAD: Attorney-General Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali has resigned from his post, sources informed. Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said that AGP has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, however,  he has been asked to continue working till a replacement. Sources said that AGP Ali has resigned due to health reasons.

Interestingly, AGP’s resignation came a few minutes before Judicial Commission of Pakistan, of which he is a member was scheduled to meet on appointment of judges.

JCP, which is meeting after a gap of five months, is expected to take up permanent appointment of 13 Lahore High Court judges. AGP Ali was at centre of controversy surrounding last JCP meeting.  Last JCP meeting held in July, it was reported based on sources that commission had rejected CJP Bandial’s nominated judges of higher courts for their elevation to SC. CJP Bandial presided over judicial commission’s session, where total of five judges, two from Sindh High Court and three from Lahore High Court were considered. However, official statement issued by Supreme Court stated that JCP Chairman, after detailed discussion proposed to “defer meeting in order to enable Chief Justice of Pakistan to place additional information and data about those already proposed and if he considers appropriate, add more names to list of proposes for consideration by JCP”.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 13 2022

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