PTI plea against transfers, postings in Punjab sent for larger bench

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) sent PTI petition against transfers and postings by the Punjab caretaker government, to the chief justice for constitution of a larger bench, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Single bench comprised of Justice Jawad Hassan also summoned reply from the parties.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, Hamad Azhar have been among 13 from the party ranks who have filed a petition in the high court challenging reshuffle in the Punjab bureaucracy.

“Caretaker government has been installed for delimitations and holding general elections,” according to the petition. “The constitution and the law not allows the caretaker setup to reshuffle the Punjab bureaucracy,” petitioners said.

They pleaded to the court to halt the caretaker government from postings and transfers and declare the reshuffle as null and void.

Petitioners have made the election commission, caretaker government and principal secretary to the Governor as respondents in the case.

“You should be pleased that by elections are being held in time,” Justice Jawad Hassan said to petitioners’ lawyer.

“We didn’t challenge the by election, we are happy over it,” lawyer said. “By elections have been announced and its schedule also issued,” he said. “But DCOs of the constituencies, where elections being held, have been transferred,” lawyer said.

“The caretaker government have no mandate of transfers and postings of officers,” PTI counsel argued.

“What we do, no work being happen in country, no law officer appearing in the court, to whom I ask, it seems no administration exists here,” Justice Jawad Hassan said.