SHC once again extends stay on IG’s removal

Development comes just a day after AD Khawaja offered to step down from his post

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday once again extended the removal of Sindh IG AD Khawaja,t a day after he offered to voluntarily step down from his post, saying it had become difficult for him to perform his duties amid a conflict with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government.

The SHC is hearing a petition filed by a group of civil and human rights campaigners seeking police reforms. The petition also covers Khawaja’s removal as police chief and the court has restrained the provincial government from doing so till further orders.

Headed by Justice Muneeb Akhtar, the high court bench extended Khawaja’s stay for five more days until conclusion of arguments by all the parties involved.



At the outset of Thursday’s hearing, Sindh Advocate General Zameer Ghumro continued his arguments against the stay on the IG’s removal, emphasising that the appointment was purely the prerogative of the provincial government.

The PPP-led government and Khawaja reportedly developed differences in December last year when the latter took action indirectly against an influential person close to the top PPP leadership.

The bench will resume hearing of the case on May 23.