LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought replies from the federal government and other respondents on a petition challenging the appointment of Reza Baqir as State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor.

Farid Adil, a lawyer by profession, filed the petition through a counsel pleading the respondent had been appointed as SBP governor without a public advertisement to fill the vacancy. He said public advertisement was mandatory for appointments in public sector institutions under article 18 of the Constitution.

The petitioner said the appointment of the respondent was in sheer violation of the Constitution and criteria repeatedly laid down by the superior courts in judgments. He asked the court to declare the appointment of the respondent unconstitutional and order the government to fill the vacancy strictly in light of the criteria prescribed by the superior courts.

Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh issued notices to the respondents and directed an assistant attorney general to submit replies on their behalf. The date for the next hearing will be fixed by the registrar office.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2022