Govt reply sought on mayor’s contempt plea

All respondents told to submit their answers today

ISLAMABAD: The federal government and the Local Government Commission (LGC) have been asked to clarify why the latter held a meeting to launch an inquiry against Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMCT) Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz.

Notices in this regard were issued on Thursday by a single-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, as it heard a contempt of court petition filed by Aziz. During Thursday’s hearing, the mayor’s counsel Kashif Malik argued that the court on May 21 had voided a notification issued by the federal government which had been issued on May 17. The notification had suspended the mayor for 90 days pending an investigation. Setting June 23 as the date to hear the case again, the court had further barred the commission from investigating the mayor, Malik said.

He added that despite the court’s orders, the commission summoned him in for a meeting on June 3 for continuing the investigation. Malik argued that it was a violation of the law.

The court issued notices to LGC Secretary Asghar Ali, Interior Ministry Secretary Azam Suleman, and SAPM on CDA Affairs Ali Awan.

All the respondents were directed to submit their responses by Friday (today).

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