IHC hears petition against Hanif Abbasi’s appointment as SAPM

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Tuesday heard former interior minister Sheikh Rashid’s plea against Hanif Abbasi’s appointment as special assistant to PM, ARY News reported.

Sheikh Rashid appeared in the court hearing with his lawyer today.

Ahsan Bhoon submitted his advocacy papers in court to represent Hanif Abbasi. He sought time from court for submitting reply over the matter. “Hopefully Hanif Abbasi will not use his public office,” the court said.

“The bench restraining Hanif Abbasi to work as the SAPM till the next hearing,” the court earlier said. Abbasi’s counsel pleaded to the court for hearing his arguments before giving relief to the petitioner.

The cabinet division has forwarded a summary to the prime minister for review on appointment of Hanif Abbasi as SAPM, the Deputy Attorney General earlier told the court.

Justice Athar Minallah said that a person could not hold a public office when the sentence awarded to him or her could not be declared void.

Ahsan Bhoon Advocate sought time for submitting reply over the matter. “Hopefully Hanif Abbasi will not use his public office,” the court said.

The cabinet division on Saturday in its interim report said that “ It has initiated process for May 09 court order for review on appointment of Hanif Abbasi.”

“A summary has been forwarded to the prime minister and a final report, comments will be submitted to the court after the prime minister’s order,” according to the report.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah on May 09, issued the directive while hearing a plea filed by Sheikh Rashid, who had challenged Abbasi’s appointment as a special assistant to the prime minister.

In the petition, Rashid pointed out that Hanif Abbasi had been appointed the SAPM through a notification dated April 27. “Both the notification and [the] appointment are illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and violate principles of good governance and the rule of law,” he said.

The petitioner noted that a FIR dated July 21, 2012 was registered against Abbasi in Rawalpindi under Sections 9(c), 14 and 15 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997.

He maintained that on April 11, 2019, the Lahore High Court (LHC) only suspended Abbasi’s sentence and not the conviction.

The court had directed the PM to review his decision of appointing Abbasi as SAPM.