Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has asked the chief secretary to file his statement with his signature, certifying that none of the advisors is exercising any executive authority or ministerial powers.

A two-member bench headed by chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah has directed the government’s law officer to ensure the filing of the statement on the next hearing after it was informed that the adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Labour and Human Resources, Saeed Ghani was still using ministerial powers.

The court had taken up the petition filed by Abdul Sattar Niazi, who had gone to the court questioning the powers of Saeed Ghani of chairing SESSI’s meetings.

Ghulam Mustafa Mahesar, the provincial law officer, told the judges that none of the advisers is exercising any executive authority, nor have they been given any ministerial powers or privileges.

However, he has requested the court to grant some time to file the chief secretary’s statement in this regard.

The hearing was put off till Dec 16.

Earlier this week, the court had restrained Saeed Ghani from exercising ministerial powers and chairing the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI)’s meetings.

The petitioner submitted that the Sindh chief secretary had made a categorical statement in the court that neither have any of the advisers been given ministerial portfolio nor have they been exercising any executive authority.

On the contrary, he added, Saeed Ghani while using executive powers vested in the SESSI’s chairman had called a meeting of the SESSI’s governing body. Sindh Employees Social Security Act 2016 requires the chairman to be the minister labor, he added.

The petitioner contended that Ghani was still exercising the executive authority in violation of the constitution and the judgment of the high court.

The High court had earlier given a detailed verdict on the petition challenging the appointment of the CM’s adviser on law Barrister Murtaza Wahab and the granting of ministerial portfolio to him.

The court had held that the advisers cannot exercise the powers of ministers, nor can they hold any portfolio.