Pakistan additional attorney gerneral refutes reports of his resignation

Pakistan's Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar on Tuesday refuted reports of his resignation, asserting that he had no intentions to quit from his post anytime soon, Dawn reported.

Earlier in the day, Geo News has reported that Khokhar has resigned from the post of the additional attorney general, saying his conscience does not allow him to pursue the high treason case against former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

The rumors of Khokar's resignation started circulating on social media as he failed to appear in the court on Monday after filing a petition on the behalf of Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government in Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking an adjournment of verdict announcement the high treason case.

Prosecutor Sajid Ilyas Bhatti appeared in Khokhar's place.

"I appeared in a court to represent the government [but] because of other commitments could not argue the interior ministry's petition in the treason case," Khokhar told Dawn when contacted.

A special court on November 19 concluded the trial proceedings in the high treason case against Musharraf for declaring a state emergency on November 3, 2007.

It also ruled out that the verdict would be announced on November 28 (Thursday) on the basis of the available record, dawn reported.

Musharraf was indicted on March 31, 2014, and the prosecution had tabled the entire evidence before the special court in September the same year. However, due to litigation at appellate forums, the trial of the former president lingered on and he left Pakistan in March 2016 "to seek medical treatment."

The retired general was that year declared an absconder as he failed to appear before the court despite repeated summons and the court directive issued to the FIA to arrest him.