Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Supreme Court (SC) on Friday rejected a petition pertaining to the appointment of special assistants and advisers and upheld an Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict in the matter.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard the case as Justice Munib Akhtar recused himself.
Lawyer Ikram Chaudhry had moved the apex court against the appointments of special assistants and advisers by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
During the hearing, Justice Ahsan observed that the top court had laid down rules related to appointment of special assistants and advisers in a case pertaining to the appointment of Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari.
Chaudhry said the current petition did not concern dual nationalities. “The government has an army of advisers and special assistants.”
The top judge noted that the Constitution allows the premier to appoint special assistants and advisers for his assistance. He observed that a similar petition was filed before the IHC and the high court had already decided on it. Justice Ahmed said the bench will explain why this petition was being dismissed in the detailed judgment.
The judgment noted that Article 93 of the Constitution allows the prime minister to appoint up to five advisors and conferring of a federal minister status on an advisor is “only for the purpose of perks and privileges” and “does not make the advisor a federal minister as such”.
It further ruled that the advisor to the premier is not a member of the cabinet, cannot participate in the proceedings hence can also not be a member or even chair a committee cabinet. “He can address the Parliament but cannot participate in the voting process.”
