Court seeks salary package of PM’s aides

LAHORE – The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought detailed report on salary, perks and privileges of advisers to prime minister, observing that it must be determined that what responsibilities the advisors were fulfilling.

The court also observed that it also wanted to know whether the advisers were enjoying ministerial powers.

Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah gave these remarks while hearing a petition filed by Mahmood Akhtar Naqvi against appointment, perks and privileges of current advisers to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The petitioner had submitted that Sartaj Aziz, Tariq Fatmi and Mehtab Abbasi had been appointed on the posts of advisers to the Prime Minister. He alleged that they had been using the powers of minister and looking after the affairs of the ministry of foreign affairs.

He also alleged that they had been enjoying powers of ministers at the posts of advisers – which was illegal. He pointed out that advisers’ numbers could not exceed from five but currently there were more advisers as compared to the sanctioned posts. A law officer on behalf of the federal government stated that the advisers were not using the ministers’ powers.

At this, the judge asked him to come up with the report about perks and privileges of the advisers as well as about their salary. The judge remarked that they wanted to know if the advisors were enjoying ministers’ powers at the said posts. The court adjourned further hearing for two weeks.

The Lahore High Court on Thursday allowed petition of former Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board and directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to refund him incidental charges Rs 26 million taken from him in a reference of illegal assets.

A division bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi passed the order on petition filed by PCB’s former chairman retired Lt Gen Zahid Ali Akbar.

The petitioner argued that he entered into plea bargain and paid in lump sum a total amount of Rs200 million but later the NAB demanded him to pay Rs 26 millions as incidental charges/constitutional gain etc. He said Rs 200 million were the mount which was determined by the NAB in the reference of assets.

On June 13, 2016, a NAB court approved his plea bargain. The petitioner stated that high court had declared such charges as illegal. He prayed that NAB be ordered to refund him Rs 26 million to him.

The Lahore High Court on Thursday declared appointment of Fatima Sheikh as director general of Child Protection and Welfare Bureau as illegal with direction to the Punjab government to fill the post within 15.

LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah announced the verdict on petition filed by Advocate Sheraz Zaka. The CJ expressed serious concerns over illegal appointments with the bureau and remarked that under the law, there was no concept of ad-hoc or acting charge appointment. He also observed that rule of law shall prevail and appointments on nepotism would not be tolerated.

Earlier, the counsel for the petitioner argued that Fatima Sheik belonged to Information Group even then she was appointed as DG CPWB. He argued that requisite qualification for the said post was that the person must belong to District Management Group.

In addition to this, the CPWB DG should be a grade-19 officer and belong to either the Punjab Management Services (PSM) or District Management Group (DMG) under the Service Rules of Child Protection Welfare Bureau 2010. He said that Fatima was a grade-18 officer from the information group. He further said that rules did not allow anybody continues his or her acting charges for more than six months. He prayed that appointment of Fatima Sheikh be declared set aside.

Source: The Nation