SC imposes fine on KP government over misleading information

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has imposed Rs500,000 fine on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government over misleading by providing false information and ordered the provincial authorities to submit the fine in Edhi Foundation, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed conducted the hearing of illegal appointments made in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Communication and Works Department where advocate general KP appeared before the court.

During the hearing, AG KP told the court that 17 persons had been recruited in 2009 and they were terminated from the job in the same year. The terminated employees moved to Peshawar High Court (PHC) which had restored their jobs through a judgement. To this, CJP remarked whether the provincial authorities had reviewed its application and accepted its mistake in the matter.

After AG KP admitted the mistake as the petition had been filed in 2012, CJP Ahmed expressed outrage and remarked that the apex court should have suspended all employees of the Advocate General Office. He continued that the court will suspend all employees of the AG Office and order the chief minister to appoint new law officers.

“We will neither allow you to continue performing duties in the office nor will tolerance such a big mistake. The officials have considered the government departments as personal properties.”

AG KP argued that the officers have not remained on the positions who had filed the plea and some were passed away. CJP Ahmed remarked that it seems AG Office had not thoroughly reviewed the plea nor the secretary of the concerned department.

Later, the apex court dismissed the appeal of the KP government besides imposition of Rs500,000 fine which will be submitted to Edhi Foundation over providing misleading information. Moreover, the KP chief minister has been ordered to carry out strict action against the responsible persons.

CJP has also directed the KP government to take action against Assistant Advocate General (AAG) Zahid Yousaf over giving false information.