SHC extends stay order against removal of AD Khawaja

Author: Staff Report

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has extended its stay order against the removal of Inspector General of Police AD Khawaja till 20.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar adjourned the hearing after partly hearing arguments from the petitioners’ counsel.

Faisal Siddiqui, the petitioners’ lawyer, had forwarded his arguments over the provincial government’s powers to remove and appoint IG Sindh of its own choosing and enact laws that lie in the domain of federal government.

During previous hearing, Advocate General Zameer Ghumro apprised the judges of mechanism the provincial government had adopted for appointment of IG Sindh for over the years.

He contended that the provincial government had powers to appoint IG of its own choice. Invariably, the government recommends three police officers to the federal government to appointment one of them as IG Sindh, he added.

He said the provincial government enacted the Sindh (Repeal of the Police Order 2002 and Revival of the Police Act 1861) Act 2011, which was unconstitutional and aimed at subverting transparency and check-and-balance mechanism in the police department.

The PPP’s provincial government had suffered a setback on March 3 when the high court suspended its notification restoring AD Khawaja as IG Sindh and asking the new IG to relinquish the charge.

The court observed that the IG could be removed only after the cabinet endorses the decision as the apex court had held in its verdict that the provincial governments could exercise their statutory powers that are conferred on them through cabinet.

In the wake of court’s order, the Sindh government had summoned cabinet meeting which endorsed the removal of AD Khawaja and appointment of additional IG Sardar Abdul Majeed Dasti in his place.