Chandio asked to resign to accommodate Babar Awan

Subsequent to the suspension of former law minister Babar Awan’s licence to practice law, President Asif Ali Zardari has decided to reappoint him as law minister and has reportedly sought resignation from Moula Bukhsh Chandio to get he post vacated.
However, mystery shrouded the development when Chandio contradicted the reports saying he neither had resigned nor had he been asked to do so. The reports of his resignation hit headlines on TV screens after the president had a meeting with him and Awan.
But the minister’s claim was rubbished by his senior colleague, Leader of the House in the Senate Nayyar Hussain Bukhari when despite Chandio’s presence in the Senate on Tuesday, Bukhari told the Senate chairman to defer a bill as Law Minister Chandio had resigned.
“This bill may be deferred for the next rota day as the law minister has resigned,” he said. Upon this, PPP Senator Dr Safdar Abbasi asked, “Is there a law minister as of now?” To which Bukhari said he had no information in this regard. During the entire discussion, Chandio did not contradict Bukhari’s statement and remained silent. But after the Senate session, Chandio told reporters that he had not resigned. “I have not resigned as law minister and I would accompany the prime minister to the Supreme Court on January 19,” he said. However, adding that he would accept whatever decision the party leadership took.
A source in the PPP told Pakistan Today on Tuesday that Chandio was summoned by President Asif Ali Zardari and was directed to resign to accommodate Awan to send a strong signal to the judiciary after an 11-member bench had temporarily suspended Awan’s licence. However, after the news of Chandio’s resignation appeared in the media, the president was advised by the legal team of the prime minister to defer Awan’s oath-taking ceremony as it would badly affect the prime minister’s case. “This is the reason that oath to Babar Awan may be delayed for a few days,” said the source. Awan had resigned as law minister after he was tasked to represent the federation in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case.