IHC issues show-cause notice to Federal Housing and Works Minister

In what appeared to be a practice of defying the court orders, the Islamabad High Court on Monday issued show-cause notices to high-ups of the Ministry of Housing and Works for not reinstating its two employees despite court’s verdicts.

For the second time, the IHC issued the show-cause notices to Federal Housing and Works Minister Faisal Saleh Hayyat, Secretary Housing Kamran Lashari and DG PWD Ghulab Zamir, on a petition seeking contempt of court proceeding.

Earlier, the court had issued contempt notices to the same officials on February 20. The application was filed by two sacked employees of Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD), Rana Salim and Masood Akhtar.

A single member bench comprising Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui heard the plea, issuing show-cause notice in contempt of court case. The court asked the respondents to submit their replies within fifteen days.

Abdur Rahim Bhatti Advocate, the petitioner’s Consul, apprised the court that Ministry of Housing and Works did not restore his clients despite the court had decided the case in their favor.

He observed, “The court had given the orders on December 29, 2011 to restore my clients on their previous position in PWD however, the minister and top officials of the ministry did not obey the orders”.

The lawyer held the minister, secretary of Housing and Works and DG, PWD responsible for disobeying the court and requesting to issue contempt notices against them.

In the light of these arguments, the court issued show-cause notice to Federal Minister Faisal Saleh Hayyat, Secretary Housing and Works Kamran Lashari and DG, PWD Gulab Zamir in contempt of court case.

The ministry had sacked the applicants, employees of PWD, Rana Salim and Masood Akhtar last year. Both the officers had challenged the decision of their dismissal in IHC through a petition.

The court, after hearing the case, had ordered the concerned ministry on December 29 last year to restore both the officers on their respective positions however; the decision was yet to be implemented.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Mar 20 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.