Appointment challenged: Application filed to stop DG NAB going to office

Petitioner says respondent is holding office despite expiry of contract.

LAHORE:

An application was filed in the Lahore High Court on Wednesday seeking restrictions on Rana Zahid Mahmood as the National Accountability Bureau director general despite expiration of his employment contract.

Petitioner Shah Faisal Qureshi, through his counsel Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique, filed an application in his main petition, pending in the court, challenging Zahid’s appointment.

The petitioner said that Zahid was employed on a one-year contract on April 21, 2010, as the director general. He said the service period had expired on April, 20, 2011.

He requested the court to restrain Zahid from continuing the job and from entering the premises of the NAB offices. He said by performing duties on the post after expiry of the contact, Zahid was violating the service rules of the NAB Ordinance.

The bench comprising Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain and Justice Sheikh Ahmad Farooq adjourned the hearing of the application along with the main petition by Thursday (today).

In the main petition, the petitioner had challenged Zahid’s the appointment saying it was being continued in violation of the laws. He had asked the court to declare it null.

He said that Zahid’s appointment was also in violation of judgment of the Supreme Court and the Constitution of Pakistan.

The petitioner pointed out that the respondent was removed as a judge from the LHC following a judgment of the apex court on a petition of Sindh High Court Bar Association. He accused Zahid of exercising his officials influence in a case by removing the investigating officer.

He also asked the court to issue directions to the officials concerned to transfer the case investigation back to its original investigation officer.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2011.