Three PEF BoD members restrained from working

LAHORE
The Lahore High Court on Friday restrained federal State Minister Sara Afzal Tarar, Rana Afzal and PML-N MPA Engineer Qamarul Islam Raja from working as members of board of directors of the Punjab Education Foundation.
The court issued the order on a petition challenging the appointment of a new board of directors made allegedly on political grounds. The judge also sought reply from the authorities concerned and adjourned hearing till April 16. A lawyer-petitioner Chaudhary Shoaib Saleem argued that directors had completed their term on March 18, 2014, but still were enjoying the status of PEF membership. The petitioner said on Dec 22, 2014, the Punjab School Education Department Secretary had issued a notification and constituted a new board of directors. He said the new board of directors was against the law under the foundation was established. He said the new board of directors of PEF included MNA Saira Afzal Tarar, MNA Rana Muhammad Afzal, MPA Engineer Qamar-ul-Islam Raja, Provincial Ombudsperson, Prof. Dr Mira Phailbus and Commissioner Afzaal Bhatti, PEF vice-chairman Dr. Amjad Saqib and Strategy and innovation Unit Chief Minister’s Secretariat Chairman and Punjab Examination Commission chairperson Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi Member. The petitioner said the respondents were public servants as they were holding various public offices and do not fall within the definition of private persons which are necessarily to be included from private sector as per Section 5 (1) (2) of Punjab Education Foundation Act 2004. He submitted that there had been massive financial embezzlement and misappropriation in the Punjab Education Foundation and an inquiry was launched by Chief Minister’s Inception Team (CMIT). He said a report was issued by the CMIT on June 20, 2014, wherein registration of criminal cases was also directed against top level management officials besides conducting an independent and impartial audit of the financial and other matters of the foundation.
LHC CJ: Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik will take oath as new chief justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on March 30 as Chief Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmad will retire on March 29.
Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik will be LHC’s 43rd CJ. He was elevated as LHC judge on September 15, 2009. Chief Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmad will retire on 29th March and a formal send-off was held in the Judges lounge on Friday in which Chief Justice-designate Manzoor Ahmad Malik and other judges were present.
Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik presented a souvenir and a bouquet to the outgoing chief justice on his formal send-off. LHC Registrar Habib Ullah Amir, officers and court staff were also present. Chief Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmad had taken oath as CJ on June 17, 2014. He had joined district judiciary as additional district and sessions judge in 1992, promoted as district and sessions judge in 2000.