Daily Times

A Lahore High Court (LHC) larger bench hearing the petitions, questioning the power of caretaker Punjab government to remove public servants including Advocate General Punjab Ahmad Awais and other law officers, was dissolved once again on Wednesday.

As the bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, started its proceedings, Additional Advocate General Punjab Ghulam Sarwar raised an objection to a member of the bench. He submitted that Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir had refused to hear the petition of Advocate General Punjab Ahmad Awais, therefore, he could not become a part of the bench.

At this, the bench agreed with the stance of the law officer and referred the matter to LHC chief justice with a request to form a new bench for hearing. Later on, LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti reconstituted the bench and replaced Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir with Justice Anwaar Hussain. Now the bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and comprising Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh, Justice Shahid Karim, Justice Asim Hafeez and Justice Anwaar Hussain, would hear the petitions on Thursday. It is pertinent to mention here that the LHC chief justice had on February 2 formed a larger bench for hearing of the petitions but it was dissolved after Justice Rasaal Hassan Syed recused himself from the bench on medical ground. Previously, a three-member full bench was formed to hear the petitions.