LAHORE, Aug 7: The federal government on Wednesday assured the Lahore High Court that the enforcement of Public Sector Companies (Corporate Governance) Rules 2013, in Discos and other public companies in the power sector shall be adhered to and a report on the steps taken for compliance shall be submitted on the next hearing.

The government through its counsel stated that a set of guidelines issued to distribution companies from time to time had been compiled and shall be filed in court on Aug 13, next date of hearing.

The chief justice was hearing a petition against unannounced electricity loadshedding and a related matter about transfer of Lesco Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Saleem.

Petitioner Advocate Azhar Siddique argued that Mr Saleem was removed from the post of Lesco CEO for taking action against mafia involved in electricity theft. He said Mr Saleem was made OSD in violation of many judgments of the Supreme Court.

The former Lesco chief was also present in the court and stated that he had no desire to stick to the post but the government should be barred from treating him like a rolling stone.

The chief justice directed the government to treat the officer in accordance with law laid down in a suo motu case of 2010 titled corruption in Haj arrangements in 2010.

Government counsel Khwaja Ahmad Tariq Rahim also gave the court assurance to the effect.

The chief justice adjourned further hearing till Aug 13 and directed the government to submit compliance report.

Transfer order suspended: The Lahore High Court has suspended transfer order of a chief engineer allegedly passed on the direction of Federal Minister for Water and Power Khwaja Asif in violation of Wapda policy and that too during a ban on postings and transfers.

M Nasim Akhtar, senior superintending engineer, was posted as chief engineer development in Wapda on a current charge basis in March 2013. The federal government imposed a ban on postings and transfers on July 29, 2013.

In the meanwhile, most junior SE Rao Zameeruddin was posted as chief engineer development in place of Akhtar on Aug 2, 2013, while ignoring the ban.

Aggrieved Akhtar approached the court through Advocate Hafiz Tariq Nasim alleging that the federal minister issued his transfer order to please MNA Rao Tajamal. The counsel argued that the transfer order was not transparent, but the result of a political pressure by the local MNA and the federal minister.

The court, after hearing the petitioner’s counsel, suspended the impugned transfer order and directed the Federal Ministry of Water and Power to submit their replies within a fortnight.