Defying orders: Apex court orders G-B police chief’s suspension

Court told Hussain Asghar is not willing to relinquish his charge as G-B IG.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court took serious exception on Wednesday after learning that Gilgit-Baltistan’s police chief has not assumed charge in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as the investigator in the Hajj scam, despite its orders.

The court directed the government to suspend Hussain Asghar from his current post and block his salary.

Deputy Attorney General Dil Muhammad Alizai told the court that Asghar, himself, was not willing to relinquish his charge as the G-B inspector general of police.

Presiding over a three-judge bench of the apex court, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry asked Alizai what disciplinary action has been initiated against Asghar in this regard.

The deputy attorney general assured the court that steps are being taken against Asghar.

The court, in its order, asked him to produce a written reply on behalf of Establishment Secretary Khushnood Lashari who had assured the court during the previous hearing that disciplinary action would be taken against Asghar if he did not relinquish his charge.

The chief justice asked the establishment secretary to suspend Asghar from his current post and write a letter to the auditor general of Pakistan to block his salary for not complying with the chief executive of the country’s orders. Alizai told the court that Asghar would relinquish charge if an alternative officer is posted to replace him.

The deputy attorney general sought the court’s direction to initiate action against Asghar but the court refused to give any order in this regard and asked him to submit the government’s response instead.

Asghar was in the middle of investigating the Hajj corruption scam, when he was abruptly transferred to G-B last year.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2012.