Qadir's appointment as AGP challenged

KHUDAYAR MOHLA

ISLAMABAD: A contempt petition filed in the Supreme Court on Saturday sought court orders to declare recent appointment of Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Irfan Qadir illegal.

Qadir was appointed as AGP by the Federal government while former top legal officer of the country Maulvi Anwarul Haq was appointed as consultant (legal affairs) at the President's Secretariat. Haq was appearing before the Supreme Court as a prosecutor in a contempt case against Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Son of a retired judge, Qadir remained a PCO judge in Lahore High Court for brief period. He had previously served as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor General. He was removed from that post after his appointment was declared unlawful by the Supreme Court. Later, he was working as a consultant (legal affairs) for the President's Secretariat before his appointment as law secretary.

The petitioner, Shahid Orakzai, filed the petition under Article 204 of the Constitution of Pakistan, making Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani and Irfan Qadir respondents.

Orakzai alleged that misusing his constitutional authority under Article 100 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the premier had appointed Qadir as AGP for personal motives related to the pending contempt case against him in the Supreme Court.

The petitioner termed the appointment of Qadir as AGP an attempt to interfere in and obstruct the process of the court.

He added that that Premier Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani act visibly tended to prejudice his own pending trial under sub-clause (c) of clause (2) of Article 204 and as elaborated in Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003.

The petitioner prayed that the Supreme Court may immediately restrain Qadir from performing any duty, and proceedings of contempt of court against both the respondents may be initiated.