SC reinstates Dogar as Lahore CCPO

Author: Agencies

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday reinstated Ghulam Mahmood Dogar as the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) days after he was suspended by the federal government.

The apex court issued a notice to the federal government regarding Dogar’s appeal against the decision of the special bench of the Federal Service Tribunal (FST) that suspended him for a second time.

Dogar, a BS-21 officer was suspended early November for apparently not ensuring security of the Governor House during a protest by PTI workers against the assassination attempt on former prime minister Imran Khan during the long march.

The Governor House officials had written to the chief secretary and IGP, stating that a mob had tried to break through the main gate on The Mall, burnt tyres and damaged CCTV cameras. The capital city police neither took any measure to stop the protesters nor did it register a case against the attackers.

In the hearing, a three-judge bench including Justices Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Sayyad Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi issued notices to the federal government over the police officer’s appeal against the Federal Service Tribunal’s decision (FST).

During the hearing, AIG Dogar’s counsel, SC Bar Association President Abid Zuberi contended that the FST had allowed the police officer to retain the Lahore CCPO slot in November but that the decision was overturned by another two-member bench of the same tribunal. “A two-member bench cannot suspend the decision of another two-member bench of the same tribunal,” Zuberi said.

Upon hearing this, Justice Ahsan asked “how can one bench of the tribunal suspend the decision of another bench belonging to the same tribunal?” “On one hand the special bench declared the petition as premature and then they suspended the order,” he said.

As the hearing continued, Justice Naqvi asked “how did the Lahore High Court say that the constitutional petition is not admissible?” Responding to the judge, the SCBA president said the provincial government is not willing to relinquish the services of the CCPO. The hearing was adjourned for an indefinite period of time.