LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday removed 19 provincial law officers appointed by the previous regime of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

A notification issued by the law and parliamentary affairs department says the competent authority is pleased to dispense with the services of four additional advocate generals with immediate effect. They are Anis Ali Hashmi, Umair Khan Niazi, Nadir Manzoor Duggal and Rai Shahid Saleem Khan.

The government also terminated the services of 15 assistant advocate generals Fayyaz Ahmad Mehr, Safdar Hayat Bosal, Mian Shakeel Ahmad, Fayyaz Ahmad Basra, Mudassar Elahi Warraich, Manzoor Ahmad Warraich, Arsalan Khan Sihar, Mukhtar Ahmad, Sikandar-i-Azam, Ms Farhat Majeed, Javed Ali Dogar, Ayub Buzdar, Shahid Riaz, Haji Dilber Khan and Malik Altaf Hussain Rawn.

The law department had also restrained Advocate General of Punjab (AGP) Ahmad Awais from appearing before courts on behalf of the government the other day and assigned the responsibility of the office to Additional Advocate General Jawwad Yaqoob.

The department on May 10 sent a summary to the chief minister for the removal of AGP Awais. However, Mr Awais claimed that he would continue to work till pleasure of the governor. The summary is still pending for a formal approval by the governor.

The office of the governor has also been vacant after the removal of Omar Sarfraz Cheema by the Cabinet Division. Mr Awais was appointed AGP for a second time on July 29, 2020.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2022