Pakistan federal government on Saturday appointed Lahore-based advocate Ashtar Ausaf Ali as the new Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP).
Ashtar Ausaf Ali, 65, is the 36th AGP of the country. He replaced former AGP Khalid Javed Khan who resigned on April 9 after the former prime minister Imran Khan-led PTI government was ousted.
Geo TV reported Khan as saying that he had tried to serve the country to the best of his ability and conscience.
Ashtar Ausaf Ali had previously served as the 32nd AGP during the tenure of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. He was also the special assistant to the prime minister on law and justice during 2015-16.
Ali held the position of Advocate General of Punjab from 1998 to 1999 and again in 2012 to 2013. He also served as Prosecutor General of the province from 2011 to 2012 and as Advisor on Human Rights to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1997.
As Attorney-General, he co-drafted the 25th Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan merging Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He began the settlement process that culminated in the resolution of the USD 6 billion penalty imposed against the country in Reko Diq case by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and the renewal of the GSP Plus trade package.
Ali was awarded with the third-highest honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan, Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2018.
Earlier, he resigned from the post of Attorney General of Pakistan on 20 June 2018 stating the need to ensure free and fair elections, and a smooth democratic transition.
( With inputs from ANI )
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