SHC to hear civil society’s arguments in favour of AD Khawaja

KARACHI: With no respite in the rift between the federal and provincial governments regarding the appointment of Sindh’s top cop, the Sindh High Court (SHC) allowed Sindh IG Allah Dino Khawaja to continue serving on the post till Thursday (today).

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, will continue hearing arguments from the lawyer representing the non-profit organisations that have sought contempt of court proceedings against the provincial authorities for surrendering Khawaja’s services to the Centre and assigning the additional charge of the IG’s post to AIG Abdul Majeed Dasti. The bench will be hearing the matter on a day-to-day basis.

The Pakistan Peoples Party-led provincial government’s three attempts to remove Khawaja from the post of the provincial police chief since December last year have failed. During Wednesday’s proceedings, Advocate Faisal Siddiqui for the petitioners resumed his arguments and continued till the court time ended. The bench fixed another hearing today (Thursday) to hear his arguments.

Meanwhile, the judges continued their previous order, suspending the notifications through which the services of IG Khawaja were surrendered to the federal government and AIG Dasti was assigned the additional charge of Sindh IG.

Advocate-General Barrister Zamir Ghumro filed documents relating to the cabinet’s decision to transfer IG Khawaja. The bench took them on record.

The petitioners, including the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education Research, the Urban Resource Centre and others, had moved two applications seeking contempt of court proceedings against the provincial authorities for removing IG Khawaja from the IG’s post in alleged violation of the earlier stay order and suspension of the government’s notification that gave additional charge of the IG’s post to AIG Dasti.

Hearing the petition against the provincial government for sending Khawaja on ‘forced leave’, the court had on December 16, 2016 ordered that the matter of his transfer be dealt with strictly in accordance with the Supreme Court’s judgment, wherein it was held that public servants must complete their three-year tenure on the subject post.

On April 3, the court had suspended operation of the provincial government’s two notifications regarding Khawaja’s removal and Dasti’s new assignment, observing whether the decision was taken by the provincial cabinet.

As the government tried to provide legal cover to its decision by obtaining the provincial cabinet’s approval, the court on different occasions has continued its restraining order against the IG’s removal.

Source: The Express Tribune