In December, government had suspended AGPR Tahir Mehmood for 3 months after establishment division held a corruption inquiry into his actions. PHOTO: FILE
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday declared the suspension of the former accountant general of Pakistan revenue (AGPR) illegal.
In December, the government suspended AGPR Tahir Mehmood for three months after the establishment division held a corruption inquiry into his actions.
The court observed that the move was based on mala fide intentions. IHC judge Noorul Haq N Qureshi observed that the inquiry officer did not issue any show cause to the AGPR before initiating the inquiry.
The court also directed the government to appoint a new inquiry officer.
Last week, Mehmood’s counsel maintained that his client was suspended after he sent three references to the National Accountability Bureau against finance ministry officials who had illegally released Rs317 billion to oil marketing companies and for work in the constituency of former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
The government’s counsel had argued that Mehmood had been suspended on corruption charges.
The court observed that “it was surprising that except for oral versions of availability of corruption records against the official, the government failed to substantiate its claims with concrete material”.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2014.
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