Raheel Sharif’s foreign job shall cease if NOC not granted within one month: SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has ruled that the foreign employment of former army chief General (R) Raheel Sharif shall cease with immediate effect if he is not granted a no-objection certificate by the federal cabinet within one month.

According to the detailed judgement issued by the apex court in dual nationality case on Saturday, the Supreme Court said that according to the law laid down by the court, only federal cabinet can grant permission to an ex-government servant to seek or take up employment as an officer or servant of a foreign government.

Verdict

“With respect to General (R) Raheel Sharif, documents were filed showing No Objection Certificates (NOC) from the General Headquarters (GHQ) and the Ministry of Defence, but according to Section 3 of the Act of 1966, it is in fact the Federal Government (or a person or authority authorized by it in this behalf) which can grant permission to an ex-Government servant to seek or take up employment as an officer or servant of a foreign government or a foreign agency; and according to the law laid down by this Court in the judgment reported as Messrs Mustafa Impex, Karachi and others Vs. The Government of Pakistan through Secretary Finance, Islamabad and others (PLD 2016 SC 808) the Federal Government means the Cabinet and the said judgment was in the field when the NOCs were granted.”

“Vide order dated 07.08.2018, the learned Attorney General for Pakistan and the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defense were granted time to look into the matter and apply to the Federal Government for an ex-post facto NOC/permission.”

”Let the Secretary, Ministry of Defense file a report in this regard within one month from the issuance of this judgment and in case the requisite NOC is not granted by the Federal Government within such time, the foreign employment of General (R) Raheel Sharif shall cease with immediate effect.”