MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed has sought legal opinion from his minister for law as to how the government should deal with the issue of some of his orders, when they have been challenged by opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the high court, Dawn has learnt.

It may be recalled that following the February 22 by-election in Baloch constituency, Mr Majeed had asked chief secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal and inspector general of police (IGP) Malik Khuda Bakhash Awan ‘to immediately stop functioning in AJK and report back to the Establishment Division’.

The move had generated lot of debate in legal, constitutional and political circles, apart from a series of correspondence between the AJK PM office and the Establishment Division, on the arrangements whereby the federal government officers are posted against some specific posts in AJK, mainly the chief secretary, IGP and finance secretary.

However, following a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Mr Majeed on February 28, the AJK government withdrew its ‘controversial orders’ about Mr Gondal and Mr Bakhash and also notified their appointments as AJK’s chief secretary and IGP with retrospective effect, i.e., from the date of assumption of their respective offices in July last year.

However, other orders passed by Mr Majeed between February 23 and March 3, including some posting and transfers of secretaries and amendments/insertions in some rules, were not withdrawn.

On Monday, the PML-N moved the AJK High Court, challenging these orders of Mr Majeed.

The larger bench of the court issued notices to the respondents for para-wise reply and will hear the case here on Friday.On the other hand, Mr Gondal had held a meeting with Premier Majeed in Kashmir House on Tuesday where he had once against stressed for withdrawal of these orders.

Mr Gondal, it may be mentioned here, has not attended his office here since February 28. However, he is chairing meetings in his camp office in the Kashmir House.

According to a letter, sent by Mr Gondal to Premier Majeed on the very afternoon, the prime minister had “verbally agreed to withdraw the orders”.

The letter solicited prime minister’s “approval for the withdrawal of six notifications,” two of which are about amendments in the Rules of Business, 1985 and Secretariat Instruction Manual, 1979 issued on March 3, two about the removal of secretary services and general administration Chaudhry Munir Hussain and secretary law Idrees Tabassam on February 26 and March 4 and two about the appointment of Mr Munir Qureshi and Mumtaz Mir as secretary electricity and secretary food on February 26 and March 3, respectively.

However, instead of granting approval, the prime minister had asked law minister Azhar Hussain Gillani in a confidential letter to submit him opinion “as to what should be the future course of action” in keeping with the delicacies.

“The chief secretary has initiated for withdrawal/approval of a few orders. I have perused his note and agree in principle that a lenient view should be taken and officers (Mr Hussain and Mr Tabassam) should be accommodated in due course,” reads the prime minister’s letter, a copy of which was obtained by Dawn.

“Since the matter is subjudice in the high court already, involving many a legal and constitutional questions pertaining to the role of executive authority of the state, hence I deem it necessary to take every step with due caution and deliberation,” it added.

Mr Majeed had left for Umrah late on Wednesday. However, Dawn made several phone calls to law minister Gillani but he did not attend.