ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Lawyers Forum on Friday criticised the government for appointing lawyers from the ‘Professional Group’ of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) headed by Hamid Khan on different legal positions.

The forum has constituted a six-member team to take up the matter with their party leadership.

According to a press release, the committee, comprising senior lawyers of the PML-N, will convey to the party leadership the grievances of their fellow colleagues.

Know more: PML-N lawyers claim PTI loyalists took their jobs

They alleged that the attorney general (AG) had also got appointed four consultants belonging to the PTI. They are getting Rs1.8 million per month from the government for doing nothing.

They claimed that prior to joining the AG office, one of the consultants, Rana Waqar Ahmed, was running Hamid Khan’s chamber in Islamabad. He has been recommended for elevation to the post of an additional attorney general.

PML-N lawyers’ body to take up the matter with party leadership

“The situation has created disappointment among the PML-N lawyers,” the press release said.

The lawyers also criticised the government for not appointing a fulltime law minister who could focus on the issues of legal community and liaise with the bar associations.

At a meeting, the PML-N Lawyers Forum through a resolution appealed to the prime minister to look into the matter and direct the AG and the law secretary to take PML-N lawyers into confidence before filling the posts.

Currently, around 150 law officers, including an AG, his four consultants and researchers, five additional AGs, 47 deputy AGs and around 100 standing counsel represent the federal government in the Supreme Court, Islamabad High Court and four provincial high courts.

According to the PML-N lawyers, about three dozens posts have been given to the lawyers close to the PTI.

The incumbent AG, Salman Aslam Butt, and his consultant Rana Waqar Ahmed have admitted their ‘professional relations’ with Hamid Khan but they have already clarified that they are no more his ‘partners’ as they have now established their own chambers.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2014