Pakistan Bar Council demands PM Khan to dismiss Law Minister Farogh Naseem

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan to dismiss Federal Law Minister Farogh Naseem, mentioning he was aware of former attorney general Anwar Mansoor Khan’s controversial statements against judges.

According to details, the PBC called on a judicial commission to probe Naseem. A press release issued in the matter said that keeping in mind the minister’s past, it seems that “he does not believe in democratic forces or continuity of the democratic process”.

“Divulging certain facts by him [Anwar Mansoor] while speaking to the media afterwards, that his statement before the Supreme Court was in line with the stance of the Federal Government and the concerned person [Farogh Naseem] in the Government was fully aware of it, is alarming as it reflects nefarious designs of the government to bow down the judiciary,” read the press release.

The federal minister and the incumbent government had dissociated themselves from the former attorney general’s remarks, saying that they were unauthorised and it had been issued without the knowledge of the federal government.

The PBC alleged that “it seemed as if Naseem was the “master mind of the conspiracy against the judiciary” keeping in mind his “dubious past conduct” in filing of a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, acting as former military dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s lead counsel and “his having all set to become counsel for the incumbent COAS in his case of extension in service”.

“The Prime Minister of Pakistan is urged upon to immediately expel him from the Federal Cabinet in the larger national interest and continuity of the democratically elected government, lest it is too late,” the press release stated.