PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa law department has removed 57 law officers from the advocate general’s office and appointed 27 new officers with immediate effect after the governor’s approval.
The notification removed 26 additional advocate generals and 31 assistant advocate generals. It is the largest shake-up of the KP law officers cadre in recent years, and the KP law officers removed come from every station, from Peshawar to the Islamabad desk.
Dawn reported the removals and the new appointments from the official notification.
KP law officers removed: who was appointed
The notification named Shahid Raza Malik, Daniyal Khan Daulat Khan, Lajbar Khan and Ashfaq Daudzai as additional advocate generals in Peshawar. Junaid Zaman has also been appointed additional advocate general.
Palwasha Rani has been appointed assistant advocate general in Peshawar. Mohsin Kamran, Qayyum Khattak, Waqasur Rehman, Malik Irfan Qaiser, Nida Khan, Waqar Khalil and Haris Iqbal have been appointed assistant advocate generals in Peshawar.
For Dera Ismail Khan, Mohammad Yousaf Khan has been made additional advocate general and Asif Bilal assistant advocate general. In Bannu, Zahidul Haq and Sohail Khan have been appointed additional advocate general and assistant advocate general respectively.
In Swat, Khawaja Salahuddin has been appointed additional advocate general and Mushtaq assistant advocate general. Sajidur Rehman and Fayyaz Mohammad have been appointed additional advocate general and assistant advocate general respectively in Abbottabad.
The notification also named Shamail Aziz and Altaf Ahmad as additional advocate generals for the Islamabad station. All appointments take effect immediately.
The overhaul under governor’s rule
The shake-up came with the governor’s approval, and it continues a wider administrative overhaul in the province under governor’s rule. The advocate general’s office represents the province in court, so the change of 57 officers resets much of the government’s legal bench at once.
The province’s politics have revolved around governor’s rule for weeks. Federal Minister Amir Muqam addressed a press conference in Peshawar on governor’s rule, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed an 11-member panel to monitor KP.
Legal voices have weighed in too. KP lawyers observed a black day and boycotted courts over the emergency, and the Supreme Court has held that Federal Constitutional Court rulings bind all courts.
Frequently asked questions
How many law officers were removed in KP?
Fifty-seven: 26 additional advocate generals and 31 assistant advocate generals were removed from the advocate general’s office.
Who approved the changes?
The governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approved the changes, which the law department carried out through an official notification.
When do the new appointments take effect?
All 27 new appointments take effect immediately, according to the notification.
Which stations have new law officers?
New officers were named for Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Swat, Abbottabad and the Islamabad station.
