City Reporter
While accepting Attorney General for Pakistan request for more time to commence arguments in response to plea seeking restoration of Dr Tariq Banuri service as Higher Commission Chairman Wednesday the Islamabad High Court adjourned the matter for August 11.
The court also restrained the federal government from appointing a new HEC chairman till the next hearing.
Identical petitioners including Mosharraf Ali Zaidi and others have made federal government respondent in the matter urging the IHC to declare government notification of removal Dr Banuri as Chairman HEC malafide, illegal, and issued without jurisdiction.
Division bench of the IHC comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq on Wednesday resumed hearing of the case.
During the proceedings, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan requested the court to adjourn the matter saying he has to leave in 20 minutes to attend a scheduled meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan.
Responding to the query of the Chief Justice Athar Minallah to complete arguments in the matter the AGP submitted, “I can barely preface my argument in 20 minutes” .
It is pertinent to mention that the present government terminated the services of the HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri by promulgating an Ordinance on 26 March 2021.
Interestingly, former federal minister Ahsan Iqbal of the PML-N and former Chairman Senate Farooq H. Naek of the PPP also approached the court and made brief submissions with the permission of the Chief Justice.
