Ashtar Ausaf appointed as new Attorney General for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: After the resignation of country’s top law officer Khalid Jawed Khan, the federal government on Saturday appointed advocate Ashtar Ausaf Ali as the new Attorney General for Pakistan, ARY News reported.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday gave his approval for the appointment of Ashtar Ausaf as the new AGP.

After serving for two years as the Attorney-General of Pakistan, Khalid Javed Khan stepped down from the post last month following the ouster of Imran Khan as prime minister of Pakistan through a no-confidence motion.

Who is Ashtar Ausaf Ali?

Advocate Ausaf, who had earlier served as AGP in 2016 and also served as law adviser to ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, is considered very close to the Sharif family.

He had also served the PML-N government as Advocate General for Punjab twice from 1998 to 1999 and 2012 to 2013. Ashtar Ausaf served as Prosecutor General of the province from 2011 to 2012.

Advocate Ausaf had also supported the lawyers’ movement for the restoration of independent judiciary and remained under detention when Gen Musharraf proclaimed the state of emergency on Nov 3, 2007.

The appointment to the AG office is made under Article 100 of the Constitution that allows the AGP to continue to serve in the capacity of the AG till the president decides otherwise.