Hajj scam: SC gives govt 7 days for Secretary Establishment reinstatement
Supreme court also orders govt to reinstate Hussain Asghar as investigation officer in the case.
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court has declared the government notification on Secretary Establishment Sohail Ahmed being made Officer on Special Duty (OSD) null and void and ordered his reinstatement within seven days, Express 24/7 reported on Friday.
The Attorney General of Pakistan, Maulvi Anwarul Haq had informed the court that he had not been able to meet Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday as he was busy with official engagements, which is why he was not able to submit his reply on the Secretary Establishment being made OSD.
(Read: Establishment Secretary undermined my authority: PM Gilani)
The chief justice asked the attorney general why the court’s orders were not being honoured.
The court, during the hearing of the Hajj scam case, also directed the government to reinstate Hussain Asghar as investigation officer in the case.
Haq also informed the court that Asghar is in the Kachura area of Gilgit-Baltistan and has been stopped by the chief minister from leaving his charge.
The Supreme Court had given the government one more day to obey its directives, including the reinstatement of a top bureaucrat, a written response by the prime minister and bringing back the chief investigator of the Hajj corruption scam.
Asma Jahangir lashes out at the government for not complying with SC orders
Meanwhile, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Asma Jahangir said the country is heading towards lawlessness by not implementing decisions of the Supreme Court (SC), on Friday.
Addressing lawyers at the Peshawar High Court Bar - Asma Jahangir said whether the SC’s verdict is right or wrong - the government should implement it adding that if the government feels the court’s decision is wrong - then it should file a review plea against it.
The SCBA president criticised victimisation of government secretaries who implement court orders. She said making the secretaries, Officer on Special Duty, will not work anymore.
Asma said that lawyers believe in independence of judiciary and superiority of law.
Speaking on the laws made by the government for FATA and PATA, she said she condemned it.
Earlier, on July 27, the five-member bench hearing the Hajj scam had given the government till Thursday to bring back the recently removed establishment secretary Sohail Ahmed and furnish the prime minister’s response to why he was removed to begin with. The court had charged the government with removing Ahmed for obeying the court’s directives.
The Supreme Court has declared the government notification on Secretary Establishment Sohail Ahmed being made Officer on Special Duty (OSD) null and void and ordered his reinstatement within seven days, Express 24/7 reported on Friday.
The Attorney General of Pakistan, Maulvi Anwarul Haq had informed the court that he had not been able to meet Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday as he was busy with official engagements, which is why he was not able to submit his reply on the Secretary Establishment being made OSD.
(Read: Establishment Secretary undermined my authority: PM Gilani)
The chief justice asked the attorney general why the court’s orders were not being honoured.
The court, during the hearing of the Hajj scam case, also directed the government to reinstate Hussain Asghar as investigation officer in the case.
Haq also informed the court that Asghar is in the Kachura area of Gilgit-Baltistan and has been stopped by the chief minister from leaving his charge.
The Supreme Court had given the government one more day to obey its directives, including the reinstatement of a top bureaucrat, a written response by the prime minister and bringing back the chief investigator of the Hajj corruption scam.
Asma Jahangir lashes out at the government for not complying with SC orders
Meanwhile, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Asma Jahangir said the country is heading towards lawlessness by not implementing decisions of the Supreme Court (SC), on Friday.
Addressing lawyers at the Peshawar High Court Bar - Asma Jahangir said whether the SC’s verdict is right or wrong - the government should implement it adding that if the government feels the court’s decision is wrong - then it should file a review plea against it.
The SCBA president criticised victimisation of government secretaries who implement court orders. She said making the secretaries, Officer on Special Duty, will not work anymore.
Asma said that lawyers believe in independence of judiciary and superiority of law.
Speaking on the laws made by the government for FATA and PATA, she said she condemned it.
Earlier, on July 27, the five-member bench hearing the Hajj scam had given the government till Thursday to bring back the recently removed establishment secretary Sohail Ahmed and furnish the prime minister’s response to why he was removed to begin with. The court had charged the government with removing Ahmed for obeying the court’s directives.