Staff Reporter The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday gave last chance to the government to file their reply in a constitutional petition filed by Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman against a controversial law for giving powers to chief minister of Sindh to appoint the provincial ombudsman. During last hearing the SHC had issued notices to respondents on constitutional petition D-929/2020 and instructed them to appear in person or through their pleaders on March 3, 2020. However, on Tuesday the government side failed to submit their reply and comments on the petition. A SHC bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Yousuf Ali Saeed expressed displeasure on government attorney for his failure to file his reply and instructed him to file their comments by March 26. The court observed if the government side again failed to file comments on the next hearing on March 26, the court would hear the lawyer of PDP. Later, the court adjourned the hearing till March 26, 2020. The constitutional petition was filed by Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor against establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Province of Sindh (Amendment) Act, 2020, and prayed the court to declare it as unconstitutional, illegal, void ab initio and of no legal effect. Petitioner Altaf Shakoor, making province of Sindh through chief secretary, Sindh provincial assembly through its speaker, Sindh chief minister and governor respondent, had maintained that respondent chief minister and his government has targeted the Provincial Ombudsman office as it is the hurdle in the way of corrupt practices and mal-administration of various departments under the government of Sindh. He maintained that the respondent Chief Minister has targeted and jeopardized, and taken over the powers of respondent Governor for the appointment of the Provincial Ombudsman under the umbrella of Provincial Assembly by malafidely misusing the majority of political seats and representation in the Assembly without any debate and giving chance to the opposition to raise objections.
