SHC orders status quo on penalty imposed by SA body

Shahdadpur institute VC accused of misbehaving with PPP MPA

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered on Monday the parties to maintain status quo with respect to action recommended by the Sindh Assembly’s privileges committee against the vice-chancellor (VC) of Shahdadpur Institute of Medical Sciences for allegedly misbehaving with the Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Shahid Abdul Salam Thahim.

The VC, Dr Abdul Majeed Chhutto, had challenged the action ordered by the assembly’s committee. According to Barrister Zamir Ghumro, the assembly’s committee on rules of procedure and privileges had ordered action against the petitioner on a privilege motion moved by Thahim, who accused the petitioner of misbehaviour when he was asked about some issues with the institute.

The lawyer argued that the committee convicted the petitioner and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment. The body in question cannot act as trial court to pass such a judgment and sentence the petitioner, whose case should have been handled in a proper manner in accordance with the relevant laws, he argued. He also argued that the committee took up the privilege motion, which was not referred to it by the assembly.

The court was pleaded to declare the SA committee’s act as illegal. It was also requested to declare that the committee did not enjoy the powers to convict and sentence anyone to undergo imprisonment.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2015.