LHC CJ withdraws show cause notice to CS

Court accepts Jawwad Rafique’s unconditional apology

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Tuesday withdrew a show cause notice issued to Punjab Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik for initiated contempt proceedings against him. The notice was issued after it transpired he had not been involved in issuing notification through which commissioners and deputy commissioners were conferred judicial powers of special magistrate (1st class).

This court accepts the chief secretary’s unconditional apology and withdraws show cause notice proceedings against him, the province’s top judge ordered. The LHC CJ was hearing a petition challenging the government’s notification through which commissioners and deputy commissioners were conferred magisterial powers of special magistrate (1st class).

In previous proceedings, the LHC CJ had issued contempt notices to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Moman Agha, deputy secretary judicial and special secretary home over not adopting due process of issuing a notification under which aforementioned officials were conferred judicial powers.

As proceedings commenced on Tuesday, the LHC CJ asked Punjab government how many notifications were in field when this court suspended the government’s notification.

The respondent’s counsel Dr Khalid Ranjha replied there were two notifications (2017 and 2020) in filed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2020.