Accessibility links

Breaking News

Pakistan's Attorney-General Resigns Under Pressure From Lawyers, Supreme Court

update

FILE: Pakistan's Attorney-General Anwar Mansoor Khan resigned on February 20.
FILE: Pakistan's Attorney-General Anwar Mansoor Khan resigned on February 20.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's Attorney-General Anwar Mansoor Khan announced his resignation on February 20, a day after the country's influential lawyers’ organization, the Bar Council, called on him to quit.

Khan's resignation also comes a day after the Supreme Court ordered him to apologize or produce "some material" to back certain remarks that concerned members of a bench that is hearing a set of challenges against the filing of the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

In his resignation letter submitted to President Arif Alvi, the outgoing Attorney-General said: "I note with profound regret that the Pakistan Bar Council, of which I am the Chairman, has demanded through its press release dated 19th of February 2020 that I resign forthwith from the Office of the Attorney General of Pakistan."

"Being a life member of Karachi Bar Association, Sindh Bar Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association, and having previously served as the Advocate General Sindh, the Attorney General for Pakistan and a judge of the High Court of Sindh, I stand with my brothers and colleagues at the Bar and I wish to reaffirm my faith in the highest principles of integrity and professional excellence that the Pakistan Bar Council has always stood for," Khan said.

In the conclusion of his letter, Khan said: "Accordingly I hereby resign from the position of the Attorney General for Pakistan and request to accept it with immediate effect."

XS
SM
MD
LG