Islamabad: Amidst speculation that senior PPP
leader Babar Awan could be appointed as Pakistan's new Law
Minister, current incumbent Maula Bux Chandio Tuesday dismissed
local media reports that he had resigned.
Chandio said he had met President Asif Ali Zardari earlier
in the day but had not been asked to step down.
"The party has not sought my resignation... I met the
President but we did not talk of my resignation," he told
reporters this evening.
Chandio said he would obey any direction from the Pakistan
People's Party, including a call to step down.
"I have gone to jail and borne other difficulties for the
party. There will be no problem in accepting a direction to
resign," he said.
There were reports that Awan was likely to be reappointed
as Law Minister after the Supreme Court temporarily suspended
his lawyer's license this morning for failing to respond to a
contempt notice.
Awan had served as the Law Minister till last year, when
he stepped down to represent the government in some
high-profile cases in the apex court.
It was then reported that Chandio had been appointed to
the post as a stop-gap arrangement.
Speculation about Awan being reappointed as Law Minister
gained ground as he too met President Zardari this afternoon.
Awan, a close associate of Zardari, has angered the
Supreme Court several times in the recent past by criticising
its orders and making irreverent remarks about judges.
He was appointed the vice-president of the PPP last month
despite facing criticism within the party.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 23:39