KARACHI: The Sindh government argued before the Sindh High Court on Wednesday that the petition against the removal of the provincial police chief was filed “collusively by the original petitioners, Inspector General of Police A.D. Khowaja and the federal government, to show the provincial government in a bad light”.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, was hearing the concluding arguments of Advocate General barrister Zamir Ghumro on the pleas against the removal of Mr Khowaja from the post of IG.

The provincial government’s chief law officer contended that the petition was not maintainable because the SHC did not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Challenges SHC jurisdiction to hear the matter

He requested the court to vacate its stay order on transfer of the IG and dismiss the plea against provincial government’s decision to remove Mr Khawaja from his post.

But the bench maintained its interim order restricting the government from removing the IG and put off the hearing to Thursday when petitioners’ counsel advocate Faisal Siddiqui would file rejoinder to the advocate general’s arguments.

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

The issue emerged in December last year when Mr Khowaja was sent on forced leave by the government reportedly after they developed differences over action against people having connections with Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman and former president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari.

On April 6, the SHC had passed an interim order directing Mr Khowaja to continue his duty as provincial police chief and since then it is being extended by the court.

Loadshedding case

A division bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan expressed resentment over unannounced loadshedding in the city and directed senior officials of the power utility to explain their position.

The bench hearing a constitutional petition against unannounced power outages in the city also issued notice to the federal and provincial governments’ law officers and put off the hearing to May 29.

Civil rights campaigners moved the SHC and submitted that people were facing a great deal of difficulties due to massive loadshedding in the metropolis.

They said the power utility was carrying out unannounced loadshedding despite the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s clear directives not to do so.

Justice Irfan asked the K-Electric’s counsel as to what steps the power utility was taking to overcome the menace.

The counsel said power cuts were being carried out due to gas loadshedding and falling of an electric pole in Jamshoro, adding that the company was facing a shortfall of 600MW at present.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2017