Controversial posting: CJ asks Farooqui to submit response
The principal secretary was given till the June 10 hearing to file his response against the appointment.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry addressing the International Judicial Conference. PHOTO: APP
Hearing a suo motu case against the appointment of Salman Farooqui as federal ombudsman, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry noted that the principal secretary to the prime minister had not submitted a response regarding the posting despite being asked to do so.
The principal secretary was given till the June 10 hearing to file his response against the appointment.
The top court has been hearing the petition of Syed Adil Gillani, an adviser to the Transparency International Pakistan, against Farooqui’s appointment.
In the June 6 hearing, Syed Gillani had claimed that Farooqi had been appointed by President Zardari after the court May 22, 2013 order, under which all appointments and postings made during the interregnum stood suspended.
The CJ also asked the AG to submit a record of payments made to Farooqui as ombudsman and secretary general to the president till date.
The next court hearing is scheduled for June 20.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2013.