RAWALPINDI, May 10: The government plans to terminate the services of lawyers appointed as legal advisors on political grounds by the past governments, said Rana Ijaz Ahmad Khan, Punjab Law Minister here on Thursday.

Speaking at a lawyer’s meeting he said: “We intend to end the hold of certain lawyers on the legal advisory services and replace them by young and competent lawyers on merit.”

“We respect the lawyers opposed to the government, but those supporting it would certainly be favoured.”

He said the Punjab governor Lt-Gen (Rtd) Khalid Maqbool had called for a report on lawyers working as legal advisors of government department.

The government intends to introduce amendments to family and rent laws to help expedite the disposal of such cases.

Replying to a query about the cancellation of his bar membership, he said, the procedure prescribed under Legal Practitioner Act, 1973, was not adopted, therefore the step was void.  

“The membership cannot be revoked on some one’s verbal announcement,” he said.