PESHAWAR, April 3: NWFP Advocate General (AG), Pir Liaqat Ali Shah, resigned from his post on Thursday, citing personal reasons for his resignation.

He was appointed by the previous provincial government of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA); first as additional advocate general in 2004 and then as advocate general on May 24, 2006. He had replaced Muhammad Younas Tanoli who had also resigned from the said post.

“We have been considering various names for filling the important post within next few days,” said the NWFP law minister, Barrister Arshid Abdullah, while talking to Dawn here on Thursday. Mr Abdullah assumed the charge of office on Wednesday.

Mr Liaqat Ali told journalists here that he had tendered resignation to the NWFP governor due to personal reasons. He tendered resignation under Article 140 of the Constitution.

Although, he cited personal reasons for his resignation, but legal circles believe that successive governments used to fill this post through a member of their respective lawyers’ wing, therefore, Mr Liaqat might have considered it appropriate to resign before he is removed by the new setup.—Waseem Ahmad Shah