Islamabad: Pakistan’s Law Minister Farogh Naseem quit his post during a meeting of the federal cabinet, said Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed here on Tuesday.
According to Rasheed, Naseem has resigned to represent the government in the Supreme Court in a case regarding Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure extension on Wednesday. He would be accompanied at the court by the attorney general, The Dawn reported.
Naseem belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a coalition partner of the ruling PTI.
Naseem had resigned “voluntarily” because he could not represent the government by staying a federal minister, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar.
He along with the attorney general would clarify the government stand on Gen Bajwa’s tenure extension, he said. Once the assistance was complete, Naseem could return to the cabinet, subject to the Prime Minister’s approval, Akbar added.
The announcement comes hours after Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa suspended the government’s notification extending the army chief’s tenure, until the top court’s hearing on Wednesday.