Lesco: Suspended CEO’s appeal dismissed

The appellant had appealed against his suspension from service through an order passed by a single bench.

LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday dismissed former Lahore Electric Supply Company executive officer Zia Latif’s appeal against his suspension from service through an order passed by a single bench. The appellant submitted through his counsel that the single bench had suspended his appointment notification in haste and without taking the facts of the case into account. He said Superintending Engineer Attiqur Rehman had misled the court whilst challenging his appointment. Rehman’s counsel submitted that the single bench of Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan had suspended the Lesco chief through an interim order, and an intra court appeal could not be filed against an interim order. He said the main petition was still pending before Justice Khan. After hearing both sides, the division bench of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ayesha A Malik dismissed Latif’s appeal. According to Rehman’s petition, the Ministry of Water and Power appointed Latif on a contract basis, when the Lesco board was the appointing authority and the appointment was meant to be permanent.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2012.