LAHORE: The provincial law and parliamentary affairs department has once again restrained Advocate General of Punjab (AGP) Ahmad Awais from appearing before the courts on behalf of the government and assigned the responsibility of the office to Additional Advocate General (AAG) Jawwad Yaqoob.

In a memo written to Mr Awais, the law department`s section officer (Admin-III) said that the principal law officer had been asked by the department through four lettersnottoappearinthecourtsonbehalfofthe provincial government.

`Despite repeated directions you have continued to appear in the courts on behalf of the provincial government,` said the letter, which reiterated the direction for Mr Awais not to appear before the courts.

Separately, an order issued by the law department said AAG Yaqoob had been directed to dispose of the routine official business of the office of the advocate general in place of Mr Awais. The order said AAG Yaqoob would also assign the cases to the provincial law officers till the appointment of the new advocate general. A copy of the order had also been sent to the registrars of the Supreme Court and the Lahore High Court.