Court diary: Model Town judicial tribunal completes hearing
Like with two judicial inquiries completed months ago, the report by this tribunal is also pending.
LAHORE:
Last week the judicial tribunal probing the June 17 Model Town police operation completed its inquiry. The police operation had left 14 people dead and more than 80 injured.
Like with the two judicial inquiries completed several months ago by two Lahore High Court judges, the report is now pending.
Justice Ali Baqar Najfi completed the inquiry amid a boycott of the proceedings by Minhajul Quran. Their stance was that a fair and free inquiry was impossible unless the chief minister relinquished his post.
The provincial government issued a notification for the judicial inquiry on June 17. The tribunal held 19 hearings.
Earlier two judges of the Lahore High Court conducted separate judicial inquiries into the murder of Indian spy Sarabjit Singh and a sectarian clash in Rawalpindi. The reports of both inquiries are pending.
Pakistan Cricket Board
Last week, the Supreme Court set aside a decision of the Islamabad High Court restoring Zaka Ashraf as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and directed the prime minister to appoint an election commissioner to hold elections on the board in seven days.
The bench allowed Najam Aziz Sethi to carry on as PCB chairman in the meantime. Sethi was allowed to serve after he announced his intent not to participate in the elections since he had already been appointed to the board of PCB directors.
The bench passed these directions in a short order on Monday, setting aside the IHC’s judgment issued on May 17. The bench observed that in the light of the new PCB Constitution in force since on July 10, the chief patron (prime minister) was required to appoint an acting chairman for the intervening period and the chief election commissioner in a week to hold elections within 30 days after the appointment of the CEC.
Aitchison College
The LHC suspended the termination of 19 teachers of Aitchison College and sought a reply from the college’s principal on their termination.
The teachers had challenged their termination saying that the principal had no authority to terminate them. They said that the board of governors was the competent authority to issue such orders but the principal had removed them without providing them an opportunity to defend their positions. They asked the court to set aside their termination.
Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza issued an interim stay order against the termination and suspended the termination notification till the next hearing.
The judge directed the college principal to submit his reply on or before August 28.
Joseph Colony
Last week, the LHC sought a report from the federal government on the progress on payment of compensation to those affected in the Joseph Colony arson and riots.
Zaman Masih, among dozens of petitioners, said that 30 out of 190 affected families were still waiting for compensation announced by then president Asif Ali Zardari.
A law officer for the government told the court that the verification of the affected families was in progress. He said payment of compensation would start soon.
Justice Ayesha A Malik expressed dismay over the delay in payment and observed that the government should have honoured the president’s word.
The judge adjourned hearing of the petitions till the second week of September and directed the state counsel to present a progress report on the matter.
The petitioners said the government had announced Rs500,000 compensation for each affected family. They said the government delayed the payment and discriminated against them.
Attacking police station
Last week, the Lahore High Court granted MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees protective bail till August 11. A terrorism case had been registered against the MPA for attacking a police station in Faisalabad.
Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu of the LHC granted him bail on personal surety and directed the police not to harass him. Police said Idrees and 40 other armed men attacked Khurarianwala police station in order to set some of his companions free on July 19. Idrees is accused of setting free three suspects in a murder case. Police said one of the men, Rana Zulfiqar Bhutto, had a Rs100,000 bounty on his head.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2014.
Last week the judicial tribunal probing the June 17 Model Town police operation completed its inquiry. The police operation had left 14 people dead and more than 80 injured.
Like with the two judicial inquiries completed several months ago by two Lahore High Court judges, the report is now pending.
Justice Ali Baqar Najfi completed the inquiry amid a boycott of the proceedings by Minhajul Quran. Their stance was that a fair and free inquiry was impossible unless the chief minister relinquished his post.
The provincial government issued a notification for the judicial inquiry on June 17. The tribunal held 19 hearings.
Earlier two judges of the Lahore High Court conducted separate judicial inquiries into the murder of Indian spy Sarabjit Singh and a sectarian clash in Rawalpindi. The reports of both inquiries are pending.
Pakistan Cricket Board
Last week, the Supreme Court set aside a decision of the Islamabad High Court restoring Zaka Ashraf as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and directed the prime minister to appoint an election commissioner to hold elections on the board in seven days.
The bench allowed Najam Aziz Sethi to carry on as PCB chairman in the meantime. Sethi was allowed to serve after he announced his intent not to participate in the elections since he had already been appointed to the board of PCB directors.
The bench passed these directions in a short order on Monday, setting aside the IHC’s judgment issued on May 17. The bench observed that in the light of the new PCB Constitution in force since on July 10, the chief patron (prime minister) was required to appoint an acting chairman for the intervening period and the chief election commissioner in a week to hold elections within 30 days after the appointment of the CEC.
Aitchison College
The LHC suspended the termination of 19 teachers of Aitchison College and sought a reply from the college’s principal on their termination.
The teachers had challenged their termination saying that the principal had no authority to terminate them. They said that the board of governors was the competent authority to issue such orders but the principal had removed them without providing them an opportunity to defend their positions. They asked the court to set aside their termination.
Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza issued an interim stay order against the termination and suspended the termination notification till the next hearing.
The judge directed the college principal to submit his reply on or before August 28.
Joseph Colony
Last week, the LHC sought a report from the federal government on the progress on payment of compensation to those affected in the Joseph Colony arson and riots.
Zaman Masih, among dozens of petitioners, said that 30 out of 190 affected families were still waiting for compensation announced by then president Asif Ali Zardari.
A law officer for the government told the court that the verification of the affected families was in progress. He said payment of compensation would start soon.
Justice Ayesha A Malik expressed dismay over the delay in payment and observed that the government should have honoured the president’s word.
The judge adjourned hearing of the petitions till the second week of September and directed the state counsel to present a progress report on the matter.
The petitioners said the government had announced Rs500,000 compensation for each affected family. They said the government delayed the payment and discriminated against them.
Attacking police station
Last week, the Lahore High Court granted MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees protective bail till August 11. A terrorism case had been registered against the MPA for attacking a police station in Faisalabad.
Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu of the LHC granted him bail on personal surety and directed the police not to harass him. Police said Idrees and 40 other armed men attacked Khurarianwala police station in order to set some of his companions free on July 19. Idrees is accused of setting free three suspects in a murder case. Police said one of the men, Rana Zulfiqar Bhutto, had a Rs100,000 bounty on his head.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2014.