New top lawyer excuses himself from fighting Justice Faez Isa case for PTI govt

The newly-appointed attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) — chief law officer and legal advisor of the government –, Khalid Javed Khan, has recused himself from representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Justice Qazi Faez Isa case.

Justice Faez Isa, a vocal critic of the establishment, has been facing a presidential reference accusing him of concealing his properties in the United Kingdom (UK), allegedly held in the name of his wife and children. He has submitted before the Supreme Court (SC) that these properties were bought and have always been held in plain sight in the personal names of his wife and children.

“The government has recommended the name of Additional Attorney General (AAG) Aamir Rehman to represent it in the Supreme Court,” Khalid said Monday, adding that he could not represent the federation. “I have already stated my opinion regarding the Justice Isa reference,” he explained, while his predecessor, Anwar Mansoor Khan, who was representing the government in the case against the top court judge, withdrew his unwarranted statement and tendered unconditional apology.

Anwar had stepped down from the post after lawyer bodies demanding his resignation for his “baseless” claims against certain judges of the SC. He was replaced by Khalid as Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan appointed him last week.

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) had demanded Mansoor’s resignation over some comments he made regarding Supreme Court judges, for which he had been reprimanded by the court as well.

During the hearing on Monday, the AGP told the court that AAG Aamir Rehman was ready for the case.

Justice Ata Bandial, who is heading the 10-judge bench hearing the Justice Isa reference said the court would give the government additional time to prepare for the case.

AAG Rehman had on Friday filed an application with the apex court, submitting that the hearing of the petition of Justice Isa as well as the identical petitions challenging the presidential reference fixed for February 24 may be adjourned for three weeks.

As the hearing resumed on Monday, the AAG told the court that he would be out of the country till March 20 for some official work. On this, Justice Bandial said one of the judges on the bench would be away after March 20 and they would hear the case upon his return.