IHC summons PM’s principal secretary in contempt case
June 22, 2017
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has summoned Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad on August 1 after the government reissued the notification placing five regulatory bodies under relevant ministries in violation of the court’s earlier order.
Hearing a contempt of court case against the federal government on Thursday, Justice Athar Minallah also suspended the government’s second notification over the issue, released on June 6.
A Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party worker on Monday had filed a contempt petition against the federal government over the non-implementation of an earlier IHC order setting aside the placing of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the Frequency Allocation Board and Public Procurement Regulatory Authority under the relevant ministries.
Muhammad Nawaz had petitioned the court seeking contempt proceedings against Fawad and Cabinet Division Joint Secretary Dr Iram Anjum Khan for not implementing the court’s previous decision.
On Thursday, the judge questioned when the approval from the Council of Common Interests (CCI), if any, was taken for reissuing the notification. He further observed that the notification was reissued after playing with words following its striking down by the court earlier.
Justice Minallah also ordered the production of the summary which led to the government reissuing the notification after the first one was declared illegal by the court.
In March this year, Justice Minallah had annulled the government’s Dec, 2016 notification which placed the regulatory bodies under the ministries whose work they were supposed to oversee.
The petition filed on Monday stated that the federal government reissued the notification on June 6 by playing with words without any decision, approval or CCI consent.
“No decision or approval of the CCI has been obtained by the respondents as is required under the Constitution and the order of this court,” the petition stated.
The petitioner prayed the court to initiate proceedings against the respondents, suspend operation and effect of the ‘contemptuous notification’ till the conclusion of the case and punish the ‘delinquent’ officials.
He had also requested the court to issue a compliance order of its earlier judgment in its true letter and spirit.
