LHC summons record of motion against IGP

Police chief contests letter issued by assembly secretariat

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Punjab Assembly secretary to appear on Thursday along with the record related to a ‘privilege motion’ submitted against the inspector general of police (IGP) for seeking an explanation, within three days, regarding his position about events of the voting day for the chief minister’s post.

Justice Shujaat Ali Khan issued the instructions while hearing a petition filed by the IGP against a letter issued by the assembly secretariat, seeking his explanation.

The letter sought an explanation regarding on whose authorisation and orders the police had entered the assembly premises in general and chambers in particular and under which law, authority and on whose complaint an FIR had been registered against MPAs.

The motion submitted after violent incidents that occurred on April 16 asserted that the dignity and sanctity of the assembly had been violated as a result of illegal actions of Punjab Police. It sought a list of police officials with their names, designation, credentials and other information.

The requisition for deployment of troops at the assembly was also summoned.

The IGP’s counsel implored the court that his client had received a letter on April 15 from the then acting speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari with a request to provide security staff to avoid any untoward incident on April 16.

On the day, the petitioner received another letter with a request for the deployment of requisite security forces on the assembly premises.

He argued that the petitioner, complying with Mazari’s request as well as keeping in view observations of the LHC had performed his duty as per law.

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But the PA secretary accused the IGP of committing an illegal action by deploying security officials. He argued that the deputy speaker had later quashed the letter of the PA secretary.

The petitioner submitted that Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had been threatening on media to sentence him for three months.

He requested the court to set aside after declaring illegal the letter issued by the PA secretariat.

The PA secretariat’s counsel Advocate Azhar Siddique argued that the letter had been issued on the recommendation of the assembly’s privilege committee and the petitioner was bound to give the information sought in it.

He argued that the PTI members were thrashed by the police officials, adding that the petitioner had acted beyond his domain.

He implored the court that assistance of any law enforcement agency could only be sought by the sergeant at arms of the assembly or the PA secretary. He said addressing the letter by the then presiding officer to the petitioner spoke volumes about his ‘mala fide’ conduct.

PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif had initially approached the high court, seeking an order to the authorities concerned to hold the election for chief minister and to ascertain why it was being delayed.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari had also approached the court, challenging a notification through which Speaker Pervaiz Elahi had withdrawn his powers. He contended that the speaker, who was a candidate for the CM’s post, did not want to see him chairing the house on April 16. He alleged that Speaker Pervaiz Elahi wanted to avoid election on the day.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2022.