Petition seeking disqualification of Punjab law minister maintainable: IHC

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday declared a petition, seeking disqualification of Raja Basharat as the Law Minister of Punjab, maintainable for hearing.

As per details, a petition was filed in the IHC claiming that Basharat did not disclose his movable and immovable properties, and also concealed its monetary value.

The petitioner, Semal Raja, contended in his petition that the provincial law minister also kept his expenditures of foreign tours secret with ill intent.

Proclaiming the petition maintainable, the high court issued notices to the respondents and adjourned the hearing until two weeks.

It is to be noted that a day earlier, Minister Raja Basharat was allegedly caught on tape forcing Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital’s MS Doctor Tariq Niazi to transfer Dr Areeba Abbasi in skin department.

Dr Tariq Niazi also confirmed that the minister threatened him on phone in case of noncompliance to his demand.

Soon after the audio was leaked, Young doctors Association (YDA) held an emergency meeting at Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital and threatened to hold protest demonstrations if the law minister was not removed from his post within 72 hours. They also asked the minister to seek apology from the MS.