LAHORE, Jan 12: Appointment of Sardar Latif Khosa as Punjab governor has been challenged in the Lahore High Court.

In the petition filed under article 199 of the Constitution, petitioner Nawaz Cheema has submitted that the LHC in a case entitled “Ghulam Husain vs Karim Bakhs” (1980) held the respondent (Mr Khosa) as a man of professional misconduct and directed all subordinate courts of Punjab not to take notice of any order or document referred to by the respondent or any member of his associates unless a certified copy of such order was produced.

He pleaded that under the Constitution “a person shall not be appointed a governor unless he is qualified to be elected as a member of the National Assembly”.

“The respondent, therefore, is not qualified under the provisions of article 62 of the Constitution and is disqualified under the provisions of article 63 of the Constitution to be elected as member of the National Assembly. Hence, he is not eligible to become a governor,” the petitioner says.

The petitioner pointed out the respondent was removed from his office of attorney general on the directions of the Supreme Court over corruption charges. He said a person who was disqualified to hold the office of the attorney general could not hold the office of governor as per law relied upon by the Supreme Court.

He prayed to the court to declare the recommendation and advice of the president of Pakistan and the prime minister for appointment of Khosa as governor as unconstitutional and restrain him from taking oath as governor.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who will take up the plea, sought assistance of the additional advocate general and deputy attorney general on the case. The judge directed the petitioner to make the province party in his petition and adjourned the hearing till Jan 19.