Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi resigns as attorney general for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: With less than two months in office, Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi has resigned as Attorney General for Pakistan, sources privy to the development to Geo News on Friday.

As per sources, Elahi has resigned from office due to personal reasons.

On February 2, the Ministry of Law and Justice announced that Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi was picked as AGP.

A statement issued by the ministry and signed by Joint Secretary to the Government of Pakistan, Muhammad Umer Aziz, had stated back then: "In exercise of powers conferred under Article 100(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, the President is pleased to appoint Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi as Attorney General for Pakistan with the rank and status of Federal Minister with immediate effect.”

Article 100(1) states that the president would appoint someone, who was qualified to be appointed a judge of the Supreme Court, to be the AGP.

Elahi filled the shoes of AGP after Mansoor Usman Awan recused himself from taking charge as the government’s top lawyer.

President Dr Arif Alvi approved the appointment of Awan, who is a Supreme Court lawyer, as the AGP on December 23 after accepting the resignation of Ashtar Ausaf Ali. Ali had tendered his resignation in October last year due to health reasons.

However, the federal government did not notify the appointment — the reasons for which were not disclosed officially.