Shehbaz to reconsider Abbasi’s appointment as SAPM

In light of the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) orders, a summary has been sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the appointment of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi as a special assistant.

Cabinet Division’s Deputy Secretary Khurram Ghaznavi submitted an interim report to the IHC. The report mentioned that a summary has been sent to the prime minister through the Ministry of Law and Justice, asking him to reconsider Abbasi’s appointment.

This was an interim report, and a clause-wise reply to the petition, and the final report would be submitted after the premier’s decision on the matter.

It is worth mentioning here that former federal minister for interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed challenged the April 27 notification of Abbasi’s appointment as a SAPM.

According to the petitioner, the PML-N leader has been convicted in the ephedrine quota case, against which an appeal is pending before the Lahore High Court (LHC). He contended that a convicted person cannot be made a special assistant.

The court, while issuing a notice to the Cabinet Division on the petition, directed PM Shehbaz to reconsider the matter.

The next hearing of the case will be held on May 17 and will be presided over by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.