Why did it take two days for Law Minister Farogh Naseem to distance himself and the government from the highly controversial remarks by former Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan before the larger bench during Justice Qazi Faez Isa's petition against the presidential reference, was the overwhelming response from senior members of the legal fraternity.
Law Minister Farogh Naseem, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability, Chairman Asset Recovery Unit Shahzad Akbar, and Maleeka Bokhari were present in court on February 18, 2020 when Anwar Mansoor Khan while pleading the government's case used derogatory remarks against members of the bench.
The following day on 19 February a 10-member bench of the Supreme Court directed ex-AGP to produce evidence supporting his statement or submit a written apology on his unwarranted statement prompting Anwar Mansoor Khan to resign on 20 February, withdraw his controversial and uncalled for statement and submit an unconditional apology to the court.
Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Abid Saqi said the role, conduct and activities of Federal Law Minister Farogh Naseem are undermining the independence of the judiciary and continuity of democratic process as per the Constitution.
Kamran Murtaza, former President Supreme Court Bar Association, concurred stating that the silence of Law Minister Farogh Naseem for two days before Anwar Mansoor resigned shows the remarks hurled at the bench by former attorney general were with his consent.
Murtaza said the Law Minister should have stood up at the time the remarks were delivered or talked to the media or issued a statement disassociating himself from former AGP's remarks but he remained quiet for two days which indicate he was complicit.
A few minutes after the news of Anwar Mansoor's resignation on media the law ministry issued the following statement: "The oral statement was unauthorized, without instructions and knowledge of the federal government and the respondents. Anwar Mansoor's statement is totally uncalled for."
It added that the federal government and the answering respondents hold the superior judiciary in highest respect and esteem. Accordingly, the federal government and the respondents dissociate themselves from the statement of the attorney general made by him on 18-02-2020. The federal government and the answering respondents verily believe in rule of law, constitutionalism and the independence of judiciary.
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