The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday extended an interim order restraining the provincial government from removing Sindh Inspector General of Police A.D. Khawaja.

Headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, a two-judge bench adjourned the case till Thursday after partly hearing the arguments of the applicant’s counsel.

Civil rights campaigners had approached the SHC for contempt proceedings against the provincial government after it surrendered the services of Khawaja to the federal government and appointed Additional IG Sardar Abdul Majeed Dasti, a grade-21 officer, as acting IGP on April 1.

The applicants’ counsel would carry on with his submission on the next date of hearing.

On April 6, the bench had passed an interim order directing IGP Khawaja to continue his duty as provincial police chief though his services were surrendered to the federal government by the Sindh government on March 31.

During the last hearing, the federal government told SHC that it had the final authority to appoint police chief of any province, but the Sindh government alleged that the federation was blatantly interfering in provincial affairs through the inspector general of police.