Replies sought on plea against postings in South Punjab

LAHORE:Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Thursday issued notice to the federal and provincial governments on a petition challenging appointment of additional chief secretary and additional inspector general of police at South Punjab secretariat.

Lawyers Foundation for Justice filed a petition through Advocate Ahmad Abdullah Dogar pleading that the impugned notification for the appointment of two officers of BS-21 against the two posts was illegal.

The counsel submitted before the court that a bill to amend the Constitution which would have the effect of altering the limits of a province shall not be presented to the president for assent unless passed by the provincial assembly of the respective province by the votes of not less than two-thirds of its total membership.

He said Article 239 of the Constitution defined a definite procedure for the amendments, which if not followed would render the proposed change ineffectual. He pointed out that the territorial limits of the proposed South Punjab province or administrative division had also not been determined so far. Therefore, he argued that the impugned appointments had no legal basis, which needed to be set aside.

The chief justice heard the initial arguments and sought replies from the respondents by next week. The federal minister of law, Punjab governor and chief secretary have been made respondents in the petition.