NLC scam: Court reserves judgment

A former army official had filed a petition against his ‘wrong’ dismissal

RAWALPINDI: Lahore High Court (LHC)  Rawalpindi bench on Thursday reserved judgement on a petition filed by Major-General (retired) Khalid Zaheer, former director general of National Logistic Cell (NLC) against his dismissal from the army.

Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi heard the petition, filed against the dismissal of Zaheer, from the army after retirement for his involvement in the NLC financial scam.

The counsel, Wasif Niazi, told The Express Tribune that Zaheer retired in February 2008 but was recalled in 2011 for his involvement in the NLC scam and was dismissed through administrative action.

Niazi said that under the Army Act, Zaheer should have been arrested, tried and punished by a military court.

He said that it was legal to recall Zaheer after his retirement, but that his client’s dismissal through administrative action was not allowed under military law.

Niazi further said that his client had pleaded not guilty in the NLC scam. The Public Accounts Committee had highlighted the NLC financial scam in 2008. Zaheer was dismissed from the army in August 2015.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th,  2015.