IHC strikes down govt's move to remove Sukhera as tax ombudsman

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday restored Mushtaq Sukhera as the federal tax ombudsman.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah announced this verdict on a petition filed by Sukhera, former IG Punjab, who had challenged the Ministry of Law and Justice’s notification that dismissed him as the federal tax ombudsman.

“This petition is allowed and consequently the impugned notification, dated 12-06-2019, is hereby set aside,” read the 26-page long verdict.

“The impugned notification was illegal and definitely issued in violation of the scheme of the Constitution, the Ordinance of 2000 read with the Act of 2013.”

Previously, the IHC had issued a stay order, suspending the operation of the federal government’s notification, allowing Sukhera to continue discharging his duties as the federal tax ombudsman.

Sukhera moved the petition in the court seeking his restoration on his post as tax ombudsman.

His lawyer contended before the court that only Supreme Judicial Council could remove his client after he took oath of his office.

Mushtaq Sukhera, who served as Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Punjab, was appointed as federal tax ombudsman by the PML-N government in 2017.