ISLAMABAD: The federal government has initiated a search for a new Advocate General for Islamabad following the appointment of the incumbent to head the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), informed sources said.

According to sources, several prominent lawyers are under consideration for the key constitutional post, including Usman G. Rashid Cheema, Malik Naveed Hayat, and Qazi Adil Aziz. Chaudhry Haseeb Mohammad and Syed Mohammad Tayyab are also among the potential candidates.

Advocate Cheema had earlier been considered for elevation as a judge of the Islamabad High Court last year. However, his nomination was dropped after sections of the Islamabad legal fraternity passed a resolution opposing his appointment.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) has formally forwarded a panel of 12 lawyers to the Ministry of Law and Justice for consideration. In a letter dated March 19, 2026, addressed to Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, the bar body underscored the importance of the office, stating that the Advocate General must possess integrity, strong legal acumen, and the confidence of both the bench and the bar.

The IHCBA recommended the following names: Qazi Adil Aziz, Chaudhry Haseeb Mohammad, Naseem Ahmed Shah, Malik Naveed Hayat, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed Jajja, Abdul Wahid Qureshi, Wajid Hussain Mughal, Syed Mohammad Tayyab, Zahoorul Hassan Raja, Raja Faisal Younis, Tahir Mahmood Abbasi, and Fiaz Ahmad Anjum Jandran.

However, sources indicated that the bar association itself remains divided over the move. Some members of its executive committee, including Secretary Barrister Qasim Nawaz Abbasi, reportedly expressed reservations, arguing that proposing names for such appointments does not fall within the association’s mandate.

The recommendation letter, signed by IHCBA President Syed Wajid Ali Shah Gillani, was also circulated to key state functionaries, including the President, Prime Minister, Chairman Senate, and Speaker of the National Assembly.

The government is expected to finalise the appointment in next few days.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2026