ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked Farogh Naseem to take charge of the Ministry of Law and Justice once again, but the former law minister, who represented the federation before the Supreme Court in the Presidential Reference against Justice Isa, requested some time.
"Barrister Farogh Naseem has been asked to resume duties as law minister. On Friday, the principle secretary to the prime minister phoned Farogh Naseem and conveyed Prime Minister Imran Khan's message to him to take the oath," a source very close to the former law minister told Business Recorder. When asked why Farogh Naseem has not yet taken oath, the source said, "What is the hurry?" He added, "Farogh Naseem wants some time as he is tired and stressed after arguing the federation's stance on the Presidential Reference before the Supreme Court."
Dr Farogh Naseem had resigned as minister of law and justice on June 1, 2020,
for the second time in the last twenty two months - this time to represent the federal government in response to Justice Qazi Faez Isa's petition against the Presidential Reference because Khalid Jawed Khan, who replaced Anwar Mansoor
Khan as Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP), had declined to represent the federal government in Justice Faez's petition. Barrister Farogh Naseem was therefore requested to appear on behalf of the federation.
Several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians are spreading the rumour that Farogh Naseem may not be offered the law ministry again after a ten-member bench of the Supreme Court quashed the Presidential Reference and abated the proceedings before the Supreme Judicial Council.
However seven judges, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Justice Faisal Arab, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed referred the matter of Justice Qazi Faez to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), while three judges -- Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Yahya Afridi -- wrote a dissenting note.
A member of the PTI, on condition of anonymity, told this correspondent that Babar Awan, adviser to prime minister on parliamentary affairs, may be made the new law minister. Babar Awan has served as law minister during Pakistan People's Party's government. He was asked to resign when he refused to appear as a witness in defence of ex-PM Yousaf Raza Gilani.
Farogh Naseem, while talking to Business Recorder, said, "I am now relaxing at home."
He said the job of law ministry was to reform laws.
"We have brought 12 law reforms in the last two years, which has never happened in the past - reforms that have been admired by British and American legal community, and they have indicated they would like the same laws in their own countries," he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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