IHC to hear govt plea against Islamabad mayor restoration today

Two-member bench to review petition against mayor’s restoration

ISLAMABAD: Objections have been raised over a petition filed by the federal government against an interim order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which restored the federal capital’s mayor to his position. The court, however, has listed the petition for a hearing on Monday (today).

“A review petition cannot be filed against an interim order,” observed the IHC registrar in its objections over the federal government’s petition.

Despite its objections, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) registrar fixed the case for hearing, with objections attached, on Monday (today).

The case is expected to be heard by a two-member divisional bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Ghulam Ahmed Qambrani.

Earlier, the federal government had suspended the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz for 90 days pending an investigation into charges of corruption and abuse of power in handing over a contract for an inter-city bus service to a supposed favourite.

The charges had been brought forward in a reference filed by IMC Chief Metropolitan Officer Syed Shafaq, who is also the secretary of the Islamabad Capital City Administration (ICTA).

Shafaq had told a meeting of the Local Government Commission (LGC) - an oversight body formed by the federal government under the Interior Ministry - in early May that the mayor was responsible for irregularities in awarding the contract. Therefore, the reference suggested suspending the mayor for three months and to launch a probe against him.

A few days later, the federal government, acting on the recommendations of the LGC, suspended the mayor for three months.

Aziz, however, challenged the matter in the IHC. A single-member bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, overturned the government’s decision in an interim order on May 21.

Aziz, who has maintained that his suspension betrayed the malice, had later told the media that the government could not prove to the court that he was present when the decision to suspend him was taken.

“The court became certain that I was barred from my duties without even being heard,” Aziz had said in a talk with the media after the hearing. He added that the ill-will of the government against him was conspicuous from the fact that the notification for his suspension was issued on a public holiday.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2020.