In a clear departure from Babar-Awan-led legal and constitutional rigmarole, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday appointed Irfan Qadir as secretary of the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Division with immediate effect.
Irfan Qadir was working as Consultant (Legal Affairs) at the President’s Secretariat. He has replaced Masood Chishti, who has been posted as Senior Member, Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission.
After taking Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan on board to defend him in the Supreme Court in the contempt case, it was expected that the prime minister, after having sidelined former law minister Babar Awan, whose strategy had brought Gilani in a contempt situation, would remove the entire legal team. Masood Chishti was appointed law secretary by Babar Awan to keep his complete control over legal and constitutional matter. Both Awan and Chishti had declined to appear before the Supreme Court as witnesses in the contempt court. Their refusal to appear before the court had embarrassed the prime minister’s counsel who had nominated them as witnesses for having advised the prime minister that the letter to the Swiss authorities could not be written.
