CM’s principal secretary asked again to submit reply
PHOTO: FILE
Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir on Thursday issued a notice to Punjab Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti and ordered him to submit his reply again in a plea challenging his appointment, which according to the petitioner, violated due process.
As proceedings commenced, petitioner’s counsel implored the court that the principal secretary’s appointment was a question mark.
The council contended in the petition that it was a settled law where it was found that any person holding any position in or related to the government or performing functions directly, indirectly or incidentally in connection with affairs of the federal or any of the provincial governments or any local authority had been appointed in the basis only of political affiliation (as political favour) and represented an exercise to reward cronies at the expense of public money, the superior judiciary could extend its outreach to undo such appointments. He further implored that the chief secretary issued a notification on July 26 in which it was stated that Bhatti was transferred with immediate effect and posted as principal secretary to chief minister Punjab against a vacant post.
Advocate Dawood further highlighted that the chief secretary issued these notices before the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2022.