PESHAWAR, Aug 23: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday appointed 19 law officers, including 10 additional advocates general, eight deputy advocates general and an advocate on record.

The provincial law, parliamentary affairs and human rights department issued two separate notifications regarding appointments of these officials against lucrative posts.

A day earlier, the government had terminated services of all law officers except the advocate general and also accepted resignations of three officers.

Those appointed as additional advocates general include Waqar Ahmad, Syed Qaiser Ali Shah, Naveed Akhtar and Rabnawaz Khan for Peshawar; Zahid Yousaf Qureshi for the Supreme Court; Saifur Rehman for Bannu; Sanaullah Shamim for DI Khan; Mohammad Naeem Abbasi for Abbottabad; Mohammad Jawaid Khan for Darul Qaza (Swat), and Adeel Butt for services tribunal.

The newly appointed deputy advocates general are Arshad Ahmad Khan, Mohammad Riaz Paindakhel and Mohammad Sohail for Peshawar; Qudratullah for Bannu; Mohammad Haroon Awan for DI Khan; Raja Mohammad Zubair for Abbottabad; Rafiq Ahmad for Darul Qaza (Swat) and Rahimullah for Chitral.

Mian Saadullah Jandoli, who previously served as deputy advocate general, has been re-appointed as advocate-on-record for the Supreme Court.

Zahid Yousaf Qureshi and Naveed Akhtar were also serving in the previous government as AAG.

The services of the former were terminated on Thursday, whereas the resignation of Naveed Akhtar was accepted the same day, but the government considered it appropriate to re-appoint them to the same posts.

Similarly, Sanaullah Shamim and Mohammad Jawaid were serving as DAG and have been re-appointed AAG.

The appointment of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general is awaited.

Advocate general Khalid Khan tendered resignation a few weeks ago but it has yet not been accepted.

He was directed to continue in his office until his successor is appointed.

Soon after the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf formed the government in the province its lawyers’ wing, Insaf Lawyers Forum, began demanding induction of its members on these posts.

The ILF believes as the previous governments had appointed lawyers affiliated with the ruling parties to these posts and therefore, the PTI government should also follow that trend.

Even on individual level several of the aspirants of these posts contacted influential figures in the party so that they might be included in the fresh appointments.

One of a pioneer of ILF in Peshawar told Dawn that while his fellow members remained adamant that these posts should be filled from among them, he continued to impress upon them that the appointments should be made on merit.

The member, who did not want to be named, said during the last two governments of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and Awami National Party, the lawyers affiliated with those parties were mostly appointed to these posts.

He said at least 10 of the newly-appointed law officers belonged to PTI and didn’t have enough experience of appearance in the high court.