ISLAMABAD - Federal Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem on Monday sent his resignation to Prime Minister Imran Khan in order to represent the government in a presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

A 10-member larger bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial will resume Tuesday (today) hearing in identical petitions challenging presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez for allegedly not disclosing his foreign properties in wealth statements since October last year.

Besides the apex court judge, Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar Association, Bar Councils & Association of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan and Abid Hassan Minto and IA Rehman have also challenged the Presidential Reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

Justice Faez is facing a Presidential Reference for concealing his properties in United Kingdom allegedly held in the name of his spouse and children. This is the second time Farogh Naseem has resigned as law minister from the cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Previously, he had resigned in November last year to represent General Qamar Javed Bajwa before the apex court in a case pertaining to the extension in his tenure as the army chief.

According to the law, a serving minister cannot appear before a court of law as a lawyer, as his license is cancelled during their tenure in the office. In an official statement, Naseem said, “I’ll represent the federation in the case and therefore I have tendered my resignation as the law minister.”

He added, “I have no personal vendetta [against] any person, judge, bar council or a lawyer not even with Justice Qazi Faez Isa.” He further said, “I will appear in the Honorable Court only as a lawyer to assist the Hon’ble Court.”