Islamabad mayor moves court against suspension

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz on Monday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging his suspension by the federal government.

Aziz is facing allegations of corruption in an inter-city bus terminal project. A notification issued by the Interior Ministry on Sunday confirmed his suspension for a period of 90 days.

Moving the IHC against his suspension, Aziz argued that his basic rights had been violated by the government for acting against him without any prior warning or hearing his version of events.

Making the federal government, Interior Ministry and the local government commission as respondents, the mayor asked the court to direct the parties to work within the parameters of the law. “The action taken against me is illegal,” Aziz maintained in the petition.

He pleaded the court to cancel the notification issued by the Interior Ministry and allow him to resume office till the court decides the matter.

Earlier this year, a reference was filed against Aziz — who is affiliated with opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — in which it was alleged that he was abusing his powers, using staff for personal use, and operating official vehicles that were reportedly beyond his entitlement.

The reference was filed by Humayun Akhtar, a member of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the acting Chief Metropolitan Officer (CMO). A local government commission led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Ali Nawaz Awan had recommended Aziz be suspended during the course of an ensuing investigation. MNA Awan is also the Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on CDA Affairs.