Attorney General of Pakistan
Encyclopedia
The Attorney General for Pakistan is appointed under Article 100 of the constitution
of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Deputy Attorney General of Pakistan appointed under the Central Law Officers Ordinance, 1970. The Attorney General is the chief legal advisor of the government and serves at the pleasure of the President of Pakistan
or till his/her resignation.
Controversially in Pakistan the Attorney General had the right to private practice. The reasons for this was that in Pakistan an Advocate is institutionally independent, and is not in the ordinary course permitted to be employed. It is customary however that despite this permission to do so, AG's do not appear on behalf of other clients, with the exception of briefs accepted before assumption of office which are at a stage of litigation where it would be impossible to instruct another Advocate. Sharifuddin Pirzada a former three time Attorney General and Malik Qayyum were conspicuous for their use of this right and accepting private briefs even after assuming office which was viewed by many as unethical and a conflict of interest. It is pertinent to note that the last three Attorneys General before Mr. Malik Mohammad Qayyum did not make use of their right of private practice. The 18th amendment ( passed in April 2010) to the Constitution of Pakistan abolished the Attorney General's right to private practice.
Constitution of Pakistan
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the supreme law of Pakistan. Known as the Constitution of 1973, it was drafted by the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and, following additions by the opposition parties, was approved by the legislative assembly on April 10, 1973...
of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Deputy Attorney General of Pakistan appointed under the Central Law Officers Ordinance, 1970. The Attorney General is the chief legal advisor of the government and serves at the pleasure of the President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
or till his/her resignation.
Controversially in Pakistan the Attorney General had the right to private practice. The reasons for this was that in Pakistan an Advocate is institutionally independent, and is not in the ordinary course permitted to be employed. It is customary however that despite this permission to do so, AG's do not appear on behalf of other clients, with the exception of briefs accepted before assumption of office which are at a stage of litigation where it would be impossible to instruct another Advocate. Sharifuddin Pirzada a former three time Attorney General and Malik Qayyum were conspicuous for their use of this right and accepting private briefs even after assuming office which was viewed by many as unethical and a conflict of interest. It is pertinent to note that the last three Attorneys General before Mr. Malik Mohammad Qayyum did not make use of their right of private practice. The 18th amendment ( passed in April 2010) to the Constitution of Pakistan abolished the Attorney General's right to private practice.
List of Attorneys General for Pakistan
| Name of Attorney General | Entered Office | Left Office |
|---|---|---|
| Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada NI, a direct descendant of Shaikh Burhanuddin Raz-i-Ilahi of the Shattar order in Burhanpur, who had, amongst others, Emperor Aurangzeb as his disciple), Barrister-at-Law and a graduate in Law from Bombay University in... |
May 1968 | December 1971 |
| Yahya Bakhtiar | December 1971 | July 1977 |
| Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada NI, a direct descendant of Shaikh Burhanuddin Raz-i-Ilahi of the Shattar order in Burhanpur, who had, amongst others, Emperor Aurangzeb as his disciple), Barrister-at-Law and a graduate in Law from Bombay University in... |
July 1977 | December 1984 |
| Aziz A Munshi | 1985 | October 1986 |
| Ali Ahmed Fazeel Ali Ahmed Fazeel Ali Ahmed Fazeel was a Pakistani Attorney General.-Early life:... |
October 1986 | May 1988 |
| Aziz A Munshi | May 1988 | December 1988 |
| Yahya Bakhtiar | December 1988 | August 1990 |
| Aziz A Munshi | 1990 | 1993 |
| Qazi Mohammad Jameel | 1994 | 1996 |
| Chaudhry Muhammad Farooq | 1997 | October 1999 |
| Aziz A Munshi | November 1999 | September 2001 |
| Barrister Makhdoom Ali Khan Makhdoom Ali Khan Makhdoom Ali Khan , is a practising Senior Advocate Supreme Court. Makhdoom Ali Khan is a former Attorney General of Pakistan, former Chairman Pakistan Bar Council, former member of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, former Board Member of the Federal Judicial Academy of Pakistan and a... |
September 2001 | August 2007 |
| Justice (r) Malik Mohammad Qayyum Malik Mohammad Qayyum Malik Mohammad Qayyum , Senior Advocate Supreme Court, is the former Attorney General of Pakistan, who was replaced with Senator Latif Khosa when President Pervez Musharraf resigned on 18 August 2008. He became Attorney General following the resignation of Makhdoom Ali Khan... |
August 2007 | August 2008 |
| Latif Khosa Latif Khosa Sardar Muhammad Latif Khosa is the current Governor of Punjab, and a politician representing Pakistan People's Party. A former senator and a former Attorney General of Pakistan, Latif Khosa was appointed as the Governor of Punjab by the President of Pakistan after the murder of late-Governor... |
August 2008 | October 2009 |
| Anwar Mansoor Khan | December 2009 | April 2010 |
| Justice (r) Maulvi Anwar ul Haq | April 2010 |
Address
- Address: Supreme Court Building, Islamabad
- City: Islamabad
- Phone: +92-51-9214608,9214742
- Fax: +92-51-9215852