ISLAMABAD: Salman Aslam Butt, who is the fifth attorney general to have been appointed since March 2008 and the second to serve during the PML-N government, will assume his office on Friday.

The Lahore-based lawyer was appointed as the top judicial officer of the government on Thursday in place of Muneer A. Malik who resigned earlier this month.

“I am in Islamabad and will come to my office in the Supreme Court on Friday,” said the new AG while talking to Dawn.

Mr Butt has done his Master of Laws from London. He is believed to be close to the Sharif family and being a corporate lawyer has been appearing in a number of banking cases or disputes relating to the energy sector, capital markets and fake degree cases, said a senior Supreme Court lawyer on condition of anonymity.

Mr Butt is also an associate of senior counsel Hamid Khan and a partner in the famous Cornelius Lane and Mufti law firm, the lawyer said.

He said the new AG is also believed to be close to senior lawyer Sharifuddin Pirzada who is leading the legal team defending retired Gen Pervez Musharraf in his trial on high treason charges.

The appointment of attorney general is made under Article 100 of the constitution — a provision which allows the AG to continue to serve in the position till the president decides otherwise.