Babar’s role in ministry not over

By representing the president in the Supreme Court, Babar Awan will make political gains and earn laurels from Mr Zardari, sources said.—File photo
LAHORE: Despite his resignation as federal law minister, Babar Awan is likely to be part of the decision-making process in the law ministry, sources say.

Senator Maula Bakhsh Chandio was made law minister only after the Supreme Court asked the government to appoint a new minister without delay after Babar Awan had resigned.

The law minister is a member of the National Judicial Commission and his presence is required for the appointment of judges and other matters.

The sources told this reporter on Saturday that the PPP leadership had taken Babr Awan into confidence over its choice for the job. The party co-chairman also obliged the former minister by appointing his brother Farooq Awan as adviser to prime minister on law and parliamentary affairs.

“It is largely believed in the party circles that after the induction of Babar Awan’s brother into the law ministry, the role of the new minister from Hyderabad will be minimal,” a PPP leader said.

He further said it had been decided by President Asif Ali Zardari that Babar Awan would be given the law ministry back after hearing in the presidential reference on the apex court’s verdict in the Z.A. Bhutto case ended.

The PPP leader said Babar Awan had been preparing the case for about a month and the president wanted him to plead the reference.

“Though at some point when the party leadership was deciding to file the reference in the Supreme Court, eminent Advocate Aitzaz Ahsan’s name was discussed to represent the president but there was no consensus on the choice.”

Mr Awan offered to plead the reference after resigning from the ministry, surprising some of his colleagues in the cabinet, the PPP leader said.

Many in the PPP believe that by representing the president in the apex court, Babr Awan will make political gains and earn laurels from Mr Zardari.

“It is a smart move by Babar Awan which will also help him win the hearts of party workers,” a friend of the former minister said.

“Mr Awan is hoping that the decision on the reference will come in a month or so and he will get back his ‘lost’ ministry, though one cannot predict anything in matters related to the free judiciary,” he said.

The option of handing the additional charge of the ministry to Mian Raza Rabbani, Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, was also discussed, the sources said.