Court summons: Housing secretary for reinstating officer

Petitioner was quietly reinstated despite facing graft charges; matter was sub judice.

ISLAMABAD:

A local court on Friday put on notice a federal secretary for contempt of court.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued show-cause notice to Housing Secretary Nasar Hayat and directed him to appear in court in person on June 4 to explain why he reinstated an official whose suspension was sub judice.

On April 20, the IHC had sought replies from the housing ministry and from Public Works Department (PWD) authorities on a petition filed by PWD Executive Engineer Humera Khurram, who had challenged her suspension. The court did not declare her suspension illegal and only sought replies from the officials.

When Justice Siddiqui asked about the status of the petitioner, Deputy Housing Secretary Aurangzeb Marral informed the court that Khurram was reinstated on her post with the approval of the housing secretary, adding that there was pressure from high-ups to reinstate her.

The court observed that contempt proceedings could be initiated against the secretary and directed him to appear in person and explain why he took this step.

Meanwhile Khurram’s counsel Advocate Ashraf requested for withdrawal of the case. However, the court rejected his plea.

Deputy Attorney-General Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri had earlier informed the court that the petitioner was suspended on embezzlement charges. According to him, she  was the most junior executive engineer, yet was simultaneously assigned five key stations --- Faisalabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Sahiwal --- on December 22, 2010 by then-housing minister Faisal Saleh Hayat. He claimed that the petitioner had embezzled Rs20 million from development schemes in Sheikhupura.

He also told the court that a contractor, Mujahid Abrar, had filed a complaint against her claiming she took Rs3.6 million as a bribe from him for a contract, while another firm, Noshahi, also alleged that she had taken Rs2.7 million from them.

Khurram was previously dismissed from service on corruption charges in 2002, but was reinstated by the Federal Services Tribunal (FST) on October 17, 2006.

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