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Published 19 Jul, 2012 05:21am

PM suspends Hussain Asghar; SC adjourns Haj corruption case hearing

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday heard the Haj corruption case, DawnNews reported.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain heard the case relating to allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the 2010 Haj arrangement.

During the hearing, Attorney General Irfan Qadir produced the notification pertaining to the suspension of Inspector General of Gilgit-Baltistan Hussain Asghar.

The attorney general informed the bench that the prime minister had been apprised of the court's order regarding Asghar upon which the premier ordered immediate action against the official.

Subsequently, the bench adjourned the hearing to an unspecified date.

Earlier on Wednesday, the court had ordered Asghar’s termination of service for his perceived defiance of its directives to report back to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

On several occasions in the past, the court had asked for return of the FIA’s former director to his parent department to resume investigation into the Haj scandal, but every time it was informed that he was still looking after matters relating to law and order in Gilgit-Baltistan.

On June 5, the court even ordered then principal secretary to the prime minister Khushnood Akhtar Lashari to recall the notification appointing Asghar as Inspector General of Gilgit-Baltistan if he failed to rejoin the investigation in three days.

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