LAHORE, Aug 21: The Lahore High Court on Thursday restored Data Gunj Buksh Town Nazim Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan to his office till Friday (today).

While suspending the operation of a local government notification, debarring Mr Hassaan from holding his office, Justice Nasim Sikander referred the matter to Justice M. Javed Buttar for the detailed hearing.

The court observed that since Justice Buttar was already seized of the identical petitions, therefore, it would be more appropriate for him to hear this petition too.

Khwaja Hassaan had challenged both the no-confidence motions adopted against him and the notification issued by the local government secretary, declaring that following the adoption of this motion, he had ceased to remain as the town Nazim.

Earlier, Justice Sikander refused to hear the petition on a ruling that he was a member of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). In the current petition ECP might be placed as a respondent and it would not be appropriate for him to hear the matter.

Khwaja Hassaan’s counsel Umar Atta Bandiyal and Barrister Muhammad Ahmad Qayyum argued that the petition had nothing to do with the ECP. Rather the provincial local election authority was the quarter concerned which had been surpassed by the local government secretary.

“How could the secretary issue a notification to debar the petitioner when the election authority didn’t issue any notification in this regard?” the counsel questioned while requesting the court to hear the matter.

They further argued that it was a very serious and urgent matter which required immediate action by the court. “The town council members were taken to Murree at the behest of certain quarters. They are destroying the entire devolution of power plan which is claimed to be one of the prime successes of Gen Pervez Musharraf’s regime,” Mr Bandiyal argued.

Following the arguments, the court took up the petition for the preliminary arguments. The counsel presented an order passed by Justice Buttar in an identical petition filed by a town Nazim of Sheikhupura. After going through the order, the court referred the matter to Justice Buttar.

Khwaja Hassaan and dozens of PML workers remained present in the courtroom during the proceedings. After the court proceedings, the workers chanted slogans on the LHC premises, asking the town Nazim to go to his office.