LHC rejects CCPO’s request to set aside suspension notification

Court disposes of matter, directs CCPO to approach relevant forum

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected on Tuesday Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Ghulam Mahmood Dogar’s request to set aside the notification concerning his suspension.

As the proceedings commenced, Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir was told that neither was any show cause notice issued to Dogar, nor was he properly heard before his suspension.

The CCPO's counsel argued that the federal government had just issued a "one-line directive". To this, the court remarked that the directives always comprise of one line.

Justice Muzamil remarked that if this matter was entertained then the petitioner will ask to be appointed as per his whim.

He said that the matter was related to and should be dealt by the service tribunal. The court cannot intervene in a matter between the federation and province, he noted, disposing of the matter and directing Dogar to approach the relevant forum.

The CCPO’s counsel argued that the Supreme Court (SC) had declared that the court could intervene if it observes that a transfer was made for vested interests. However, Justice Muzamil observed that the SC made that decision on a specific matter.

Further, the counsel argued that the CCPO’s authority was the chief minister, adding that the petitioner had also submitted an application before the federal government. However, rather than hearing his application the federal government suspended him.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2022.