Law officers’ incompetency should be matter of concern for govt: LHC

LAHORE:Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan Wednesday withdrew a previous order wherein the federal law minister and the office of the attorney general of Pakistan were asked to take notice of ill preparedness of a deputy attorney general who had appeared in a case about changing the name of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

DAG Malik Israr, the aggrieved law officer, filed an application requesting the chief justice to recall the order against him. Chief Justice Khan allowed the application, however, observed that the appointment of the law officers to please political personalities was destructive for the government. He said the incompetency of the law officers should be a matter of concern for the government.

The CJ also asked the office of the attorney general to review its performance.During the last hearing of a petition filed byPPP Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira against changing the name of BISP, DAG Israr had failed to assist the court properly.

PESA DG: The Lahore High Court has directed the provincial government to place the matter of appointment of Punjab Emergency Service/Rescue-1122 Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer to the post of head of Punjab Emergency Service Academy (PESA) before the Emergency Council for consideration.

Justice Ayesha A Malik issued this direction in a verdict released on a petition of Dr Rizwan Naseer seeking a direction for the government to appoint him as DG of the PESA. The judge observed that the only issue before the court was the petitioner’s request to be appointed as PESA DG on a regular basis so that he may continue playing a role in maintaining the services of the Rescue-1122.

On the court’s direction, a deputy secretary of Home Department appeared before it and stated that the government was not interested in appointing the petitioner while the vacancy of the PESA DG will be filled as per law after advertisement.

Justice Malik in her verdict observed that the deputy secretary has not been able to explain why, nor he could justify the Home Department’s position in the matter given that the competent authority is the Emergency Council under the law. The judge remarked that the petitioner remained appointed as PESA DG during 2006 and 2015 by the council.

“Hence the matter of appointment of the petitioner to the post of director general PESA should be placed before the council in the upcoming meeting, however, this exercise should be undertaken within one month of the receipt of certified copy of this order, for due consideration,” the verdict concludes.