LAHORE, Sept 3: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday refused to suspend the operation of the Punjab Local Election Authority’s notification, debarring Data Gunj Baksh Town Nazim Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan from holding his office till Sept 30.

Justice Raja Muhammad Sabir refused to grant stay against the notification issued on Tuesday and adjourned till Thursday the proceedings for further arguments of Khwaja Hassaan’s counsel.

Earlier, Punjab Advocate-General Syed Shabbar Raza Rizvi presented before the court the PLEA’s notification.

The notification debarred Khwaja Hassaan from holding his office till the voting on the recall motion scheduled for Sept 30.

The AG further informed the court that the notification issued by the local government secretary last month to restrain Khwaja Hassaan from performing his duties had been withdrawn after issuance of the PLEA’s notification. “The petition challenging the local government secretary’s notification had become infructurous following the issuance of the PLEA’s notification,” the AG argued.

Khwaja Hassaan’s counsel Umar Atta Bandiyal submitted that the AG had not yet responded to the legal propositions raised by him on the last date of the hearing.

“It was quite visible on the last hearing that the provincial government wanted to get time for the issuance of PLEA’s notification. Once such notification has been issued, the government is trying to make things too simple in the court which is not the reality. Khwaja Hassaan is still faced with an intrigue situation as certain quarters are conspiring against him,” the counsel maintained.

He contended that Khwaja Hassaan, who had been declared a model Town Nazim by the World Bank, was being forced to join a political party which he could not do because he was a non-political figure.

According to Mr Bandiyal, his client had been elected directly by 639 union councils and he could not be ousted merely by the vote of town council members since the union councils were his electoral college.

“The recall motion tabled against Khwaja Hassaan does not enjoy the legal backing since neither the allegations levelled in this motion were read out to the house as this was mandatory under the provisions of Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001 nor was this motion seconded by any one,” the counsel argued. The seconder to the motion had disowned it saying that he was forced to do so, the counsel added. —Reporter