ISLAMABAD - Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan Thursday submitted his resignation from the office.

In his resignation submitted to President of Pakistan Arif Alvi, Anwar Mansoor wrote, “I note with profound regret that the Pakistan Bar Council, of which I am the chairman, has demanded through its press release dated 19th February, 2020, that I resign forthwith from the office of Attorney-General for Pakistan.”

He added that being a life member of Karachi Bar Association, Sindh Bar Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association and having previously served as the Advocate-General Sindh, the Attorney for Pakistan and a judge of the High Court of Sindh, he stands with his brothers and colleagues at the Bar and he wishes to reaffirm his faith in the highest principles of integrity and professional excellence that the Pakistan Bar Council has always stood for.

“Accordingly, I hereby resign from the position of the Attorney General for Pakistan and request you to accept it with immediate effect. In the last year and a half, I worked to the best of my ability to serve this solemn office with honesty of purpose, and commitment to upholding the constitution,” said Mansoor.

He added, “I wish my successor the very best of success and pray that God may continue to shower His countless blessings on our motherland and nation.”

Earlier, Minister of Law and Justice Farogh Naseem and the federal government distanced from the statement of ex-AGP Anwar Mansoor Khan, which he made before a 10-member larger bench, hearing Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s petition against the presidential reference.

Secretary Law Muhammad Khashih-ur-Rehman filed a written statement before the apex court on behalf of the respondents 1 to 4 & 8 and 9 in Justice Qazi petition. It said that the oral statement was unauthorized, without instructions and knowledge of the federal government and the respondents. Anwar Mansoor’s statement is totally uncalled for, he said.

It is pointed out that the federal government and the answering respondents hold the superior judiciary in highest respect and esteem. Accordingly, the federal government and the respondents dissociate themselves from the statement of the attorney general made by him on 18-02-2020.

It added that the federal government and the answering respondents verily believe in rule of law, constitutionalism and the independence of judiciary.

After the AGP’s resignation, the government has started looking for a new chief legal officer but could not find a better option till now and considering different names for replacing the attorney general.