Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi resigns as Attorney-General

Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi tendered his resignation on Friday as the Attorney-General for Pakistan (AGP) after less than two months in the role, Aaj News reported.

He had been appointed on February 3 after months of controversy: In December, President Alvi had approved the summary of Lahore-based lawyer Mansoor Usman Awan as the new AGP. However, the federal government delayed the notification and Mansoor eventually declined the role.

When Elahi stepped in, the AGP office had been vacant since October 2021 when Ashtar Ausaf Ali resigned, citing health reasons. In his place, Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman had been appearing to represent the government before the Supreme Court.

In January, the Supreme Court's Justice Faez had expressed grave concern over the delay in appointing a new attorney general, noting that the court is not getting proper assistance in cases from the AGP’s Office.

It was earlier reported that Elahi, a young corporate lawyer with experience in commercial, tax and banking laws as well as constitutional litigation enjoys a good reputation for his hard work, integrity and understanding of legal issues.

Elahi belongs to the famous law firm, Cornelius, Lane and Mufti. Supreme Court judge Justice Ijazul Ahsan also worked with this firm before his elevation to the bench.