LAHORE, August 13: Senior lawyer Tariq Aziz Malik has sent a legal notice to the federal law secretary for giving Rs2.38 billion as fee to private lawyers to contest cases of President Pervez Musharraf.

He asked the secretary to remove all law officers, including the attorney general, as in their presence the government had to hire private lawyers. The lawyer sent the notice citing news published in newspapers, according to which the federal law minister informed parliament Rs2.38 billion were paid to the lawyers to defend the case of Gen Musharraf before the Supreme Court in 2007-08.

He said the government had services of the attorney general, deputy attorneys general, advocates general, additional advocates general and prosecutors, and they were being paid millions of rupees per month as salary.

He said inefficiency of the hired lawyers stood admitted and these government advocates were liable to be removed from their offices. Mr Malik asked the law secretary to explain the expenditures or face legal proceedings.

SC MOVED: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has been moved again against price hike in a petition that has been refiled after removal of objections raised by the registrar’s office.

The Watan Party through Barrister Zafarullah said the uncontrollable increase in the prices and non-availability of consumer goods in the country had been playing havoc with people.

The Watan Party had filed a petition against price hike on July 8, but certain objections were put on the maintainability of the plea.