Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi on Saturday clarified that it was “absolutely incorrect” that he was asked to resign as Attorney-General for Pakistan a day after the media reported he had quit the top law office.
In a clarification, Barrister Elahi confirmed that he had resigned, but rejected reports that he was asked to resign. The timing of his resignation – just a little over a month after he was appointed – is significant as it comes ahead of a looming legal battle on the delayed elections in Punjab in the Supreme Court, when it is eventually taken up by the PTI.
Soon after reports of Elahi’s departure made the rounds Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif went into a huddle with legal experts to discuss their strategy on the delayed elections in Punjab. The meeting, which was held in Model Town, was attended by federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, PM’s special assistants Attaullah Tarar and Malik Ahmad Khan. Elahi was conspicious in his absence.
Elahi, sharing a copy of his resignation, said he signed his resignation on Friday, March 24th, which he “was sending to the President on the same day”.
He added: “It is absolutely incorrect that I was asked to resign. In fact when I communicated my intention to resign to senior members of the Government I was requested to defer sending the resignation to the President and at their request I handed the original resignation over to a senior minister. The government may send it to the President at their convenience.”
He said that “unfortunately some facts were selectively leaked in media” and while he avoided engaging with the numerous reporters and media channels who contacted him repeatedly, a “distorted narrative is being created which is why I am now constrained to send this clarification”.
