CM served contempt notice in Ramzak principal case

Petitioner claims Mahmood failed to appoint principal within the prescribed time

PESHAWAR: The chief minister has been served with a notice in contempt of court case over the appointment of a principal for the Ramzak Cadet College in North Waziristan.

This notice was issued on Tuesday by a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), comprising Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan and Justice Abdul Shakoor as they heard a contempt of court petition.

The petition, filed by Mian Hikmatullah on behalf of his client, contended that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan was also the chief executive of the college by virtue of his position.

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He added that his client had challenged the appointment of Shafqat Abbasi as the principal of the college in the PHC. Subsequently, the court on April 15 directed Mahmood to appoint the vice principal of the college, Fazal Maghbod, as the acting principal of the college within 60 days.

With the deadline expiring, Hikmatullah argued that the chief minister had failed to fulfil the court’s orders to appoint a permanent principal.

With no full-time principal in place, Maghbor — who is holding an interim charge — has started enjoying the full perks and privileges of the post.

The lawyer argued that this could severely damage the reputation of the college.

He urged the court to issue contempt notices to the chief minister for failing to comply with the court’s directions while the additional charge of the college’s principal should be given to the chairman of its board of governors.

The court issued notices and adjourned the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2019.