Challenging removal: BHC rejects Bhootani’s petition

Bhootani says his removal was in violation of the Constitution and rules of procedure.

QUETTA:

The Balochistan High Court (BHC) dismissed former Balochistan Assembly speaker Aslam Bhootani’s petition challenging his removal from office on Monday.

In its short verdict on the ousted speaker’s petition, the BHC bench comprising Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhel and Noor Muskanzai maintained: “The procedure followed by members of the provincial assembly on the no-trust motion against Aslam Bhootani is legal and constitutional… (as such) his petition has been removed from court.”

Petitioner Bhootani had been represented by Baz Muhammad Kakar and Hadi Shakeel, while former Punjab governor Sardar Latif Khosa, Advocate General Amanullah Kanrani and advocates Atta Muhammad and Kamran appeared on behalf of the Balochistan government.

Talking to journalists following the dismissal of Bhootani’s petition, Kakar said that while he accepts BHC’s decision, they might pursue the matter through the Supreme Court if the former speaker chose to do so. Any such decision, however, would be made once the court announced its detailed verdict, he added.

Meanwhile, Latif Khosa maintained that the court’s decision had proved that Bhootani was wrong in trying to challenge a ‘democratic process’. He expressed the opinion before the media outside the Balochistan Assembly building after the court proceedings.

Khosa asserted that the former speaker had taken unilateral action by rejecting the Balochistan Governor’s calls for convening an assembly session.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2013.