Plea challenging appointments of advisers, assistants to PM filed in SC

Another petition seeking extension in the tenure of high court judges also filed

KARACHI: A petition, challenging the appointment of Dr Moeed Yusuf as special assistant to the prime minister on national security division and strategic policy planning, was filed at Supreme Court's (SC's) Karachi registry on Saturday. The petition also contends the appointment of other advisers and special assistants to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and seeks the annulment of their appointments.

The petitioner, Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi, has maintained in the plea that the appointment of Dr Yusuf as adviser on sensitive issues was "a matter of national security." He has further claimed that advisers and specials assistants to the PM have been availing the privileges provided to individuals elected as ministers. "They are eligible to only avail privileges provided to public servants," he has mentioned in the plea.

The plea seeks the formation of a joint investigation team to investigate the appointment of Dr Yusuf. Besides, it moves the apex court to annul the appointments of various other special assistants and advisers to the PM, order the inclusion of their names in the Exit Control List and issue directives for them to return the amount collected on account of salaries and allowances.

PM Imran true spokesperson for Kashmiris’ rights: Firdous

Adviser to the PM on Climate Change Amin Aslam, Adviser to the PM on Textile, Commerce, Industries and Production Abdur Razzaq Dawood, Adviser to the PM on Establishment Muhammad Shahzad Arbab, Adviser to the PM on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Adviser to the PM on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Ishrat Hussain, Special Assistant to the PM on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Special Assistant to the PM on Media Iftikhar Durrani, Special Assistant to the PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the PM on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to the PM Parliamentary Coordination Nadeem Afzal Chan, Special Assistant to the PM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, Special Assistant to the PM on Political Affairs Naeemul Haque, Special Assistant to the PM on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, Special Assistant to the PM on Public Private Partnership Shamshad Akhtar and others have been nominated as parties in the plea.

Plea for extension in tenure

The same petitioner filed a miscellaneous petition at SC's Karachi registry, seeking an extension in the service period of high court judges.

The plea maintains that extension in the tenure of high court judges is "inevitable as it is in the collective public interest." Basing the petitioner's argument on this ground, the plea moves the court to extend the retirement age of the chief justices and judges of the high courts of all four provinces by five years, increasing it to 70 years. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2020.