No immediate relief for Islamabad mayor

IHC issues notices on plea against suspension

ISLAMABAD: The first elected mayor of the federal capital, Sheikh Ansar Aziz, could not get immediate relief from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday on his petition against the 90-day suspension order on corruption charges.

In a significant move, the government had suspended Aziz on Sunday, who belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, for a period of 90 days.

The move had drawn an immediate reaction from the PML-N that termed the move “a coup d’état” and vowed to challenge it in court.

IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the petition. Justice Kayani summoned the Local Government Commission secretary on May 21 with all the relevant records, observing that the court would decide on the suspension of the interior ministry’s notification after hearing both sides.

Qazi Adil, the lawyer for Aziz, argued that the action taken against Sheikh Ansar Aziz was illegal. He requested the court to direct the authorities to act within the ambit of the law. He also requested that court to declare the May 17 notification of the interior ministry null and void.

The court summoned the local commission secretary in person with all the records of the suspension of Sheikh Ansar Aziz. Notice had also been issued to the Interior secretary and the chairman of the Local Government Commission and for their replies by May 21.

Shaikh Ansar Aziz has been charged with alleged corruption in the intercity transport stand.

Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, Chief Metropolitan Officer, MCI, had presented the reference against the mayor.

The Islamabad local government commission had recommended the suspension of the mayor in order for a transparent inquiry into the reference.

The government suspended the mayor on the recommendations of the Local Government Commission dominated by members of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

The commission in its last meeting held on May 14 had recommended to the government to suspend the mayor so that an inquiry relating to an alleged corruption reference could be initiated against him.

The commission was headed by PTI’s MNA from Islamabad Ali Nawaz Awan, who is also a special assistant to the prime minister on the affairs of the capital’s civic agency known as the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The commission’s two members from opposition parties — Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of the PML-N and Raja Pervez Ashraf of the PPP — were not present at the meeting at which the commission took up the matter out of agenda and decided to recommend to the government to suspend the mayor in connection with the intercity bus terminals’ (five bus stations in various parts of the city) contract worth Rs42 million, which the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) had awarded last year.

The commission decided to hold a proper inquiry into the matter, besides recommending to the government to suspend the mayor for 90 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2020.