ISLAMABAD, July 22: The Acting President and Senate Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari approved on Monday appointment of Abid Sher Ali as minister of state for water and power.

Mr Ali is said to be a nephew of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Government’s critics have started criticising his appointment.

“The acting president, on the advice of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, approved the appointment of Mr Abid Sher Ali, MNA, as minister of state in terms of Article 92(1) of the Constitution,” President’s Spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.

In a separate development the acting president approved on Monday the appointment of Abdul Latif Golo, District & Sessions Judge (BS-21) as Judge Accountability Court-I Karachi on deputation basis.

The acting president also approved the following appointments on the advice of the prime minister. Advocate Sher Shah Kasi, has been appointed Deputy Attorney General Quetta, Advocate Syed Muhammad Attique Shah as Additional Attorney General-I Islamabad, Nasir Mahmud as Deputy Attorney General-X Lahore in place of Iftekhar Shahid and Sajid Ijaz Hotiana as Standing Counsel-XVIII Islamabad.

Under a separate decision the acting president accepted the resignation of Habib Ullah Shakir from the post of Additional Attorney General-I Islamabad.