Sheikh Rashid moves LHC against Naqvi's appointment

Awami Muslim League Chief (AML) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Thursday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the appointment of Mohsin Raza Naqvi as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab.

In the petition, filed through advocate Azhar Siddique, the AML chief challenged the appointment over Naqvi’s alleged affiliation with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and active involvement in the regime change movement against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The petition added that no due process was adopted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the caretaker chief minister Punjab’s appointment with a request to “set aside the impugned notification declaring it as illegal”.

Advocate Siddique implored in the petition that since the ECP and its members have “violated the constitutional and statutory requirements vis-à-vis appointing the care-taker Chief Minister of Punjab; they be censored and be held guilty of violating their constitutional position and committing misconduct, as detailed above, hence, the same be declared to be partial and incapable to hold a free and fair election”.

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The petition also stated that the caretaker CM had been “involved in a case of corruption and corrupt practices initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) where he struck a plea bargain, voluntary return under section 25 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 and is thus a convicted person”.

The AML chief in the petition also stated that the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) in a suo moto case had held that once a person is accused of corruption or corrupt practices, volunteers to offer to return the amount he has pocketed or gained through illegal means cannot hold any government/public office.

Under such circumstances Mohsin Naqvi was "not eligible" to be appointed as caretaker CM Punjab and, thus, he has no lawful authority to continue in the office, it maintained.

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The former interior minister requested the court that the appointment of Naqvi as caretaker CM be declared illegal and unlawful and the notification to appoint him as caretaker CM be set aside.

It was further requested that CM Naqvi be restrained from appointing any cabinet, or performing any function vis-à-vis the issues of elections till the decision of this instant writ petition.

Moreover, the petition added that the operation of the notification referred above be suspended and Naqvi be restrained from performing any function of the stated office.

It is pertinent to note that the AML chief was arrested by the Islamabad police in the early hours of Thursday for levelling allegations against Zardari and will be produced in an additional and sessions court of the federal capital today.