SHC reserves verdict in IGP A.D. Khawaja’s removal case

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday reserved its verdict in the case pertaining to the appointment of Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.D. Khawaja.

The court reserved its verdict after hearing the closing arguments presented by Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, the applicants’ counsel, who argued before the divisional bench, headed by Justice Muneeb Akhtar, that there were no grounds for objection to the petition.

Siddiqui was referring to a petition filed by the Pakistan Institute of Labour, Education and Research (PILER) chief, Karamat Ali, in which it was argued that the provincial government should be held in contempt of court as it had defied a previous high court-issued stay on Khawaja’s removal.

In April, the Sindh government had sent Khawaja packing after it appointed another Grade-21 police officer already working in the province in his place.

The Sindh government had said it was ‘surrendering’ Khawaja’s services to the federal government and, without waiting for Islamabad’s nod, appointed Additional IG Sardar Abdul Majeed Dasti as the provincial police chief till “appointment/posting of [a] regular incumbent by the Establishment Division”.

However, the SHC suspended the provincial government’s notification for Khawaja’s removal.

The Sindh government has alleged that the petition being heard by the court was filed in collusion by the original petitioner, Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.D. Khawaja and the federal government “to show the provincial government in a bad light”.

In a recent hearing of the case, Khawaja offered to leave his post, telling the SHC through his counsel that doing his job had become increasingly difficult under the current circumstances as he has been facing increasing hostility from political quarters, with the provincial government keen to send him packing as soon as possible.

However, the SHC refused to let Khawaja relinquish his post and maintained its stay on his removal till it deliberates the matter.

The Sindh Government’s decision to remove Khawaja from his post has been seen by some as the PPP’s strategy for the upcoming general election.

Khawaja’s differences with bigwigs of Sindh’s ruling party on issues relating to the removal/posting of police officials before by-elections in some constituencies, his stance on a businessman said to be a close associate of PPP leader Asif Zardari and recruitment in the police department are no secret.

In December 2016, the IGP was sent on “forced leave’ by the provincial government. Sources at the time said PPP leadership was not happy with the IGP over many issues, including his refusal to accept illegal demands of the people close to the ruling party.

Source: Dawn